One Step Further: Winter's First Frost
by SnaketailOfWinterclan
Summary: Sequel to One Step Further. Leafclan has found the clans and were welcomed. However, the leaders of the original four clans have decided that there isn't room for a clan the size of Leafclan around the lake so the newer cats have to find a way around this. The beginning of the story can be found here: /s/9838179/1/One-Step-Further
1. Chapter 1

Five days later, Silverfire looked up from where she was sharing tongues with Wolffang as Ashfoot led five unfamiliar cats into Leafclan's camp. The tomcat standing beside her had a mottled gray pelt. A small white she-cat stood just behind Ashfoot with a dark gray tom walking alongside her. Behind them a brown tom with one black ear brushed pelts with a tortoiseshell she-cat who had a white mark on her forehead.

"We came to offer you an escort to the Island for the Gathering tonight." Ashfoot stated, staring directly at Darkstar.

"Um, thanks."

"Onestar sent me to ask that you come to Windclan's camp so that you can follow our group there."

"Very well." Darkstar lifted his tail and Silverfire picked up one of Tornadoclaw's kittens and joined the rest of her clan as they followed Ashfoot and her patrol through the Windclan territory to a hollow that was thoroughly hidden by gorse and heather. Before they entered, the mottled gray tomcat ran ahead through a small tunnel, the rest of the crowd following more slowly.

The camp was surprisingly open after the tightness of the tunnel that led to it. Onestar and the mottled tom were standing in the center of camp and four full-grown cats were seated in a cluster to the right. Whiskerpaw was watching from the other side of camp, right next to what seemed to be an old badger set. At least one pair of eyes looked out through the shadows inside. There was also a large boulder on the opposite side of camp but it seemed unoccupied.

"Welcome to Windclan's camp." Onestar greeted Leafclan in a friendly voice. Then he must have seen Cloudpaw and Pebblepaw because he yowled in alarm. Silverfire pressed her flank against Pebblepaw's and was aware of her clanmates also moving closer.

"They are my _clanmates_." Darkstar snarled, his fur bristling.

"You keep company with _foxes_?"

"Yes." Onestar swallowed and visibly collected himself.

"Can you promise that my cats will be safe from them? Our kittens?"

"Easily. These foxes have never tasted cat, they eat the same prey as all of us."

"Okay." Onestar said with a nod. "Then I'll do my best to accept them as clan warriors."

"Good."

"Until sun-down, Leafclan can share our camp. The hunting patrols should be back soon with prey."

"With your permission, we could catch our own."

"I'm sure my hunting patrols will be able to catch enough." Silverfire was a little annoyed that Onestar was denying them the chance to prove their skill to the cats they just met but Darkstar just accepted it.

"Alright, thank you."

"Our nursery is over there if your queens want a place to rest." Onestar gestured to his left and Silverfire looked at a section of the gorse barrier that was indistinguishable from the rest of it. Onestar continued to explain. "There's a good-sized den inside that gorse bush, padded with moss."

Darkstar looked over his shoulder in Silverfire's direction and Tornadoclaw set Cliffkit down to answer Darkstar's unspoken question.

"I'd like that. Thank you." Tornadoclaw retrieved Cliffkit and led Embershade, Moonleap, and Silverfire toward the den, each of them holding a kit. Tornadoclaw sniffed out an unclaimed nest and settled down in it, setting Cliffkit next to her belly. Moonleap stepped forward next to place Ravenkit next to her brother.

"I'd like to stay in here with you. We don't know anything about these cats." Moonleap explained as he lay down behind her.

"I won't argue." Tornadoclaw stated, licking his cheek. "You should also rest in here with us, Silverfire. You're getting big."

"Yeah, all right." Silverfire agreed, setting Meadowkit in Tornadoclaw's nest. "I am rather tired."

"I'm going to go back outside." Embershade commented, joining Lavenderkit with her siblings. Tornadoclaw nodded and Embershade turned and left.

At sunset, Tornadoclaw nudged Silverfire awake and they gathered with the rest of Leafclan around Darkstar as Onestar and several Windclan cats led them out of camp and to the lake. From there they followed the beach until they came to a fallen tree. Windclan crossed to the Island first, closely followed by Leafclan. The clearing in the center of the island was already fairly crowded and three cats stood in the branches of an oak tree.

"You're late, Onestar." A large white tom with black paws growled.

"I'm here now, Blackstar." Onestar responded in kind as he climbed to a branch just below a blue-gray she-cat with bright blue eyes.

"Who are your guests, Onestar?" A ginger tabby tomcat with green eyes asked, looking down at Leafclan. Onestar flicked his ears at Darkstar to suggest he answer.

"I am Darkstar of Leafclan. I've come to ask for a home for me and my clanmates."

"We need to discuss this among ourselves and our medicine cats." The she-cat decided. The other leaders nodded in agreement and leapt from the tree to speak with a group of four cats sitting near the base of the tree. Another group of four that was sitting on the far side of the tree joined the leaders and medicine cats. After talking for a while, the leaders returned to the tree and Blackstar stepped forward to speak.

"We've decided that each clan will accept some of your clanmates. We will allow each of you to choose which clan you want to join."

Darkstar stepped forward to better address all the gathered cats.

"Would any of you willingly leave your family and friends to live among strangers? Why would you expect us to do so? We look for a single home for all of us, not to be separated among your camps. Is there room for another clan's territory here or should we continue to journey?"

There was utter silence for a moment as every cat stared at Darkstar. Then the blue-gray cat stood.

"There is extra land between my territory and Windclan's, but not enough to feed a clan the size of yours."

"We also have unclaimed land between Shadowclan's and Thunderclan." The ginger added. "But there is the same problem that it would not hold all of Leafclan."

Snaketail walked forward and whispered something to Darkstar but Silverfire was too far away to hear what she was saying.

"I need to speak to my clan." Darkstar finally announced. Immediately afterward, he turned his back on the other leaders. Silverfire and the rest of Leafclan crowded forward as close as they could so Darkstar could speak to them directly. Silverfire found herself at the front of the group with Brighttalon, Shiningheart, Sandpelt, and Snaketail around her. Wildear, Nightpaw, Spruceheart, Hazelwood, and Shadowlion were standing just behind them.

"Right, what do you all think? Would we be able to manage as two clans instead of one?"

"I don't like it." Frostpelt spoke up from her seat behind Spruceheart and Hazelwood. "But I don't see what other choice there is."

"I could lead the other clan." Shiningheart commented.

"So could I." Silverfire responded, wanting it to be clear that there was the possibility of choice for the other clan. Shiningheart glanced skeptically at Silverfire's bulging belly but Snaketail spoke before she could say anything.

"And Nightsh- paw and I could be a medicine cat for each clan." Snaketail added.

"Alright, I guess we're doing this. We can figure out specifics later." Darkstar turned again towards the leaders. "Leafclan will split into two clans. Both small enough to be supported by the territories available, but still strong enough to defend ourselves. This way no families need be separated and everyone on this island can feel comfortable that they're sharing their dens with cats that they know they can trust."

"And what about the foxes that I see rubbing pelts with your cats." Blackstar growled. "Shadowclan doesn't share borders with foxes."

"They are in my clan and as such will be treated with as much respect as any of their clanmates." Darkstar responded coldly.

"As long as they stay within their borders I see no problem with them." The ginger tom commented.

"Yeah, well, you wouldn't, would you, Firestar?" Blackstar hissed.

"Enough you two." The blue-gray she-cat yowled impatiently. "I'm sure that Darkstar's warriors will obey the warrior code."

"Can foxes be considered warriors?" Blackstar questioned.

"As soon as they finish their training they will be." Darkstar insisted

"Now that that's settled, can we commence with the Gathering?" Onestar asked impatiently. "Windclan has been doing well this past moon. Prey has been running this leaf-fall but not too quickly for my warriors."

"Thunderclan too is well-fed this leaf-fall. And our warriors are strong after a kind Greenleaf."

"Shadowclan is well."

"Riverclan is content. Duskfur has moved into the nursery." There were noises of congratulation from all the original clans. Then they started to spread out, cats from different clans seeking each other out to converse.

"Hey Snaketail, Nightpaw!" Silverfire heard Kestrelflight call. "Come meet the others."

"You should come meet some of the elders from the other clans." Silverfire turned to see the tabby elder of Windclan talking to Hazelwood, Spruceheart, and Frostpelt. Silverfire looked around to see that cats from all the clans talking to her clanmates and inviting them into conversations.

"Hello." A female voice said close behind her. Silverfire turned around to look at the black she-cat standing behind her. "What's your name?"

"I'm Silverfire." Silverfire introduced herself. "What's yours?"

"I'm Nightcloud, of Windclan."

"It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too. When are you due?" Nightcloud nodded at Silverfire's distended stomach.

"Soon." Silverfire bent her head to lick her chest fur. "I'm not sure when they'll arrive but I know it will be soon."

"Well, kits always take their time." Nightcloud said, her eyes clouding in memories. "I remember when my son was just a young kitten. He was always eager to prove himself to anyone who would pay him attention."

"Is he here tonight?"

"No, he asked to stay in camp tonight. I'm glad though. He's been looking really tired lately."

Before Silverfire could respond, she saw Wolffang approaching them.

"We need to figure things out with our clan." He told Silverfire.

"All right." Silverfire acknowledged Wolffang before returning her attention to Nightcloud. "You should come to the next Gathering. Maybe we can talk more then."

"I'll see if Onestar will let me. Hopefully I'll talk to you then." Nightcloud stood and Silverfire walked with Wolffang back to where Leafclan was converging. Darkstar, Snaketail, and Nightpaw arrived a heartbeat later.

"So Brighttalon and I already decided to stay in the same clan. Who will go into the new clan?" Darkstar stated.

"I will." Shiningheart stated.

"We will also." Hazelwood added, referring to Spruceheart, Eaglewing, and herself.

"I'll go with them." Snowlion surprised Darkstar by saying.

"I'm also going to." Snaketail decided, torn but wanting to stay with Snowlion more.

"I think I will too." Silverfire said, deciding that she wanted to help her friend settle this new clan.

"I'm with her." Wolffang commented, brushing Silverfire's paw with his own.

"We are too." Tornadoclaw stated, wrapping her tail around her kits. Moonleap pressed close to her side.

"I think I'm going to follow Shiningheart." Pebblepaw stated uncertainly, glancing at her mentor.

"If you wanted to stay with us, we could find you another mentor." Darkstar offered.

"Thank you, but the other clan will be stronger if they also have a fox with them." Pebblepaw argued. Darkstar nodded, unable to respond.

"By my count, we've almost got as many warriors as you do now, Darkstar." Shiningheart commented. "You have two more than us."

"I'll also go into the new clan." Frostpelt decided. "That way it's even."

"Alright. Well, I guess this is goodbye. We'll meet again next full moon." Darkstar said, looking at his mother and sister.

"Go well. And take care." Frostpelt said, rubbing her head against her son's.

"Fair winds." Wildear rubbed her side against Frostpelt's. Soon everyone that was originally from Leafclan were bidding farewell to their friends and family in the other clan.

After the salutations were done, Darkstar led what remained of his clan over to Firestar to ask about the extra territory on their border and Silverfire led the rest to Mistystar for the same reason. On their leader's orders, Brambleclaw of Thunderclan and Reedwhisker of Riverclan brought the newest clans to their land.

"Thank you for your help." Shiningheart said as Reedwhisker turned to leave. "Please tell Mistystar that we're very grateful."

"I will." Reedwhisker promised. "Good luck." He added as he left.

"We need a leader." Silverfire commented as soon as he was out of earshot.

"We need a camp more urgently." Snaketail refuted as Shiningheart opened her mouth to speak.

"Agreed." Shiningheart stated. "Wolffang, why don't you take Eaglewing and search over there. Snowlion and Silverfire can look-"

"We'll look in this direction." Silverfire interrupted, gesturing towards the lake.

"Okay. And Pebblepaw and I will search this way. Moonleap can watch over the rest of the clan while we're gone."

Despite Silverfire's irritation at Shiningheart taking charge, all three patrols left without fuss. Shiningheart and Pebblepaw returned first, followed by Silverfire and Snowlion. Eaglewing and Wolffang were last.

"Pebblepaw and I found a place that could work as a camp." Shiningheart said once they were all seated.

"But it's a little too close to a twoleg nest for my liking." Pebblepaw added.

"We found nowhere suitable." Snowlion complained. Silverfire twitched her tail in irritation.

"There was a place that we found that could work." Eaglewing commented.

"Okay, let's see yours." Shiningheart offered, standing up. The rest of the clan followed suit and Wolffang and Eaglewing led them towards the Windclan border. After walking for a while, they turned away from the lake and continued in that direction until they found a medium-sized clearing in the undergrowth. There was a pile of good-sized stones to the clan's left, a tree with a hollow place underneath standing across the clearing, a patch of large sword ferns a tail-length to the left of the tree, a fallen tree just behind and to the right of the pile of stones, and a large pine tree at the far side of the clearing with thick, low-hanging branches.

"We thought this could make a good leader's den." Wolffang announced, sniffing at a gap in the pile of rocks that opened out deeper in. "And the warriors could sleep underneath that pine tree."

"There's room enough under these ferns for the three of us." Frostpelt commented, examining the sword ferns.

"There's more room under this tree than the warriors alone could take up. The apprentices could sleep on one side and the warriors on the other." Silverfire suggested, looking under the pine tree.

"My kits and I would be safe in here." Tornadoclaw stated, herding her kittens to the fallen log.

"And there's room enough in here for me to store my herbs." Snaketail decided, standing near the hollow tree. "And probably enough extra space for any sick or wounded to nest in there until they heal."

"What about a leader?" Shiningheart insisted.

"I-" Silverfire began.

"I think Snaketail should choose." Pebblepaw interrupted. "As opposed to arguing over it some more."

Snaketail looked up, startled and somewhat alarmed as her clan turned to look at her.

"I don't know!" She squeaked. Then she swallowed and continued in her usual voice. "I'll have to think about it, maybe ask Starclan for their choice. Until I can do that, Moonleap, Silverfire, and Shiningheart can all be responsible for the general running of the clan."

"That's another thing," Hazelwood noted. "We need a clan name."

"It should be Ravenclan!" Ravenkit yowled, excited.

"That's hare-brained." Lavenderkit argued. "Who'd want to be in a clan named after you?"

"I think Ravenclan is a perfectly good name." Tornadoclaw admonished.

"Why can't we keep Leafclan?" Meadowkit asked.

"Darkstar thought of Leafclan first so he'll probably keep it." Cliffkit answered her.

"I like the name Skyclan. From what I understand, we're closer to the sky than any of the other clans for our running across tree branches." Moonleap explained.

"We can't be Skyclan. Skyclan is a clan that already exists. They moved away from the other four clans generations ago." Shiningheart refuted. "However, I like Forestclan."

"Forestclan is a good name." Hazelwood agreed.

"I was thinking Winterclan." Snaketail commented.

"I like Winterclan." Silverfire agreed.

"It's not bad." Wolffang decided.

"Winterclan could be good. I like Snowclan better." Snowlion added.

"I think I like Snowclan better than Forestclan or Winterclan." Eaglewing stated. Snowlion purred at him and Snaketail narrowed her eyes at Snowlion.

"Winterclan has three votes and Snowclan, Forestclan, and Ravenclan have two votes each." Spruceheart figured.

"Then I guess we're Winterclan." Shiningheart stated, slightly upset that her suggestion didn't get the most votes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Run!" Snaketail yowled as the leaves overhead caught and spread the flames. Her clanmates crashed through the leaf tunnel, Darkstar leaping back to pick up Meadowkit. Snaketail watched to make sure that every cat got out safely but as she was following Hazelwood through the exit, a cry caught her attention. She turned to hear the voice better and the wail repeated from the direction of the nursery. Snaketail bounded to the den and slipped inside. Six kittens, their eyes still shut, mewled at her in complaint of the heat.

"Come on, we need to get you out of here." Snaketail rasped, her voice made hoarse by the smoke. Snaketail picked one kit up and left it outside the den as she returned for the rest. As Snaketail carried the final kitten away from its nest, the entrance crashed in a blaze of falling branches. In surprise, Snaketail released the kitten and was relieved to see it fly safely through the flames and land beside its littermates. Then the rest of the den caught and Snaketail was surrounded by silver fire. It flared higher and higher and everything faded to dark.

Snaketail woke up, panting and coughing. It took several heartbeats for her to realize that she was in no danger but as she began grooming her pelt, she could still taste smoke.

Last night, she had slept in front of the hollow tree and Frostpelt was looking at her, concerned.

"Are you okay, Snaketail?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." Snaketail responded. Frostpelt nodded in acknowledgement but Snaketail could feel Frostpelt's eyes as she went to find Silverfire and Shiningheart.

After looking around their camp a little while, Snaketail returned to the elder's den.

"Do you know where Shiningheart or Silverfire are?" She asked Frostpelt.

"Shiningheart is on border patrol with Pebblepaw and Moonleap, and Silverfire is out hunting with Wolffang."

"Okay, thanks." Snaketail acknowledged. "Who all's in camp?"

"Spruceheart, Hazelwood, and I, Tornadoclaw and her kits, and I thought I saw Snowlion and Eaglewing around earlier."

"M'kay. Then I guess I'll wait 'til one of the patrols gets back before going plant-hunting."

Frostpelt nodded and began grooming herself.

Snaketail watched her mother fondly for a moment before going to clean out the medicine den. The wind had half-filled the hollow with leaf-mulch and dirt that needed to be cleared out before anything could be stored inside. Snaketail had just gotten started when Snowlion and Eaglewing returned to camp, carrying prey.

"Snowlion, can I talk to you?" Snaketail called, looking over her shoulder at the white-furred warrior.

"What is it?" Snowlion asked, after she'd set down her squirrel and two voles.

"You've been spending a lot of time with Eaglewing." Snaketail observed, once Snowlion was close enough to talk to easily.

"Yes?"

"And I think he may have grown attached to you. Do you feel the same about him?"

"He's nice enough." Snowlion said, sounding mildly surprised. "And I'm sure that he'll father strong kittens."

"Just keep in mind that human males tend to be closer to their young than feline males."

"As long as he keeps his distance when they're small and helpless, then I've no problem with that." Snowlion stated, but her voice was harder and her tail twitched irritably. "I'm going to get something to eat."

"Would you bring something to the elder's?" Snaketail asked as Snowlion left. Snowlion waved her tail in acknowledgement and did as she was requested. By the time Snaketail finished, all the patrols had returned and Shiningheart approached her.

"Hey, Snaketail. Have you decided yet?"

"Yeah. Could you get Silverfire and meet me in the leader's den?"

"Sure." Shiningheart agreed, turning and walking away. Snaketail scraped the pile of leaf mold around behind the tree and made her way to the rock pile. The other two she-cats arrived soon after.

"Did you choose?" Silverfire asked as she and Shiningheart sat in front of Snaketail.

"Yeah, last night I dreamt that the camp was engulfed in flames. All of the clan had evacuated but as I tried following them, I heard kittens in the nursery so I went back for them. I got the kittens out of the nursery but I was trapped inside. As the fire grew stronger, I realized that the flames were silver."

"So, you're choosing Silverfire?" Shiningheart clarified.

"I think so. Yeah. Sorry, Shiningheart." Snaketail apologized.

"It's fine Snaketail." Shiningheart reassured her. "Good luck, Silverstar. I'd be happy to help you while you're in the nursery."

"Thank you, Shiningheart." Silverfire spoke gratefully at Shiningheart's support.

"We can go to the Moonpool tomorrow night for your leadership ceremony if you're up for the journey."

"Thanks Snaketail. I'll do my best for Winterclan."

"You'll need an apprentice as soon as possible, though." Shiningheart reminded Silverfire. "You haven't had one yet."

"Yeah, I'll mentor one of Tornadoclaw's once they're old enough." Silverfire decided. Shiningheart nodded and stood to leave.

"I'll leave you to get used to your new den." Snaketail offered, following Shiningheart.

"Snaketail, wait!" Silverfire called. Snaketail stopped and turned back, her tail raised in a question.

"You should call a meeting, tell the clan." Silverfire suggested. Snaketail wrinkled her nose in distaste but nodded.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Snaketail allowed. Then she and Silverfire left the den and Snaketail leaped onto the top of the stone-pile.

"Let all members of Winterclan gather under the stone-pile for a clan meeting." Snaketail called and watched as her clanmates converged around her.

"Last night Starclan sent me a dream, signifying who our leader should be. So I present the first leader of Winterclan, Silverfire."

Wolffang and Tornadoclaw moved forward first, with the rest of the clan close behind, to congratulate her as Ravenkit, Lavenderkit, Meadowkit, and Cliffkit got under everyone's paws.

After he said his words, Wolffang slipped away from the crowd to Snaketail's side.

"How's she going to lead the clan when she's taking care of our kits?"

"Shiningheart offered her help during that time and I'm sure that everyone will do what they can for her." Snaketail responded confidently.

"I just don't want her straining herself right now." He complained.

"Yeah." Snaketail agreed. "But she'll be okay." Then she flicked her tail at Silverfire and Silverfire, understanding, joined her friend on top of the stone-pile.

"While I'm in the nursery, Shiningheart will be acting leader, and after I can take on leadership responsibilities, I'd like her to be my deputy."

"Thank you Silverstar. I'll do all I can for Winterclan." Shiningheart promised. Silverfire nodded and slithered back to the ground, Snaketail jumping down beside her.

On Shiningheart's suggestion, Silverfire took one of the mice Wolffang had caught and joined Tornadoclaw and her kits in the nursery.

Snowlion also came to the nursery log soon after Silverfire had settled down, holding a ball of moss.

"Snaketail said we could use this for nests."

"We?" Tornadoclaw asked.

"Yes." Snowlion stated, somewhat smugly, as she fashioned herself a nest.

"Who's the father?" Silverfire asked.

"Does it matter?" Snowlion questioned in earnest.

"Of course it does!" Silverfire answered, surprised.

"Why?" Tornadoclaw asked, sounding as confused as Snowlion. Silverfire blinked at the other two queens before responding.

"I guess it's a human thing." She decided with a shake of her head.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Snaketail visited Silverstar in the nursery a few days after Silverstar gave birth.

"Silverstar?" Snaketail called, poking her head through the entrance.

"Yeah?"

"I need to go to Moonpool tonight but I wanted to make sure you knew where I was."

"Okay." Silverstar acknowledged. "Have fun Snaketail."

"Thanks." Snaketail said before backing out of the den and leaving camp.

Snaketail didn't pass anyone in her territory though she did hear voices speaking a little ways away from the Windclan border. The voices were too quiet to make out and Snaketail was in a hurry so she didn't pay them any mind. It wasn't until she was nearing the Thunderclan border that she saw another cat.

"Who goes there?" A light brown tabby she-cat called, racing toward Snaketail with a mostly brown tom and a younger black tom following behind.

"Snaketail, medicine cat of Winterclan." Snaketail responded.

"What are you doing on Windclan territory?" The younger cat asked, clearly trying not to sound hostile.

"Passing through on my way to the Moonpool. It's half moon tonight."

The tabby shot a quick, questioning glance at the brown tom and he shrugged.

"Sorry for delaying you." The she-cat apologized. "We didn't realize it was half moon."

"That's fine." Snaketail said as she continued on her way.

When Snaketail reached Moonpool, she was surprised to see only Jayfeather there.

"Have none of the others arrived yet?"

"They're not coming." Jayfeather said with a disappointed sigh.

"I'd ask why but I expect Nightpaw will want to know also when she comes." Snaketail decided.

"Are you sure she will?"

"She and I had no reason not to." Just as Snaketail finished speaking, Nightpaw skidded into view at the top of the hollow.

"Where are the others?" Nightpaw asked as she made her way down the path into the hollow.

"Apparently they're not coming." Snaketail repeated Jayfeather's answer.

"Why not?"

"Starclan has separated. We were each told to stay away from each other." Jayfeather responded.

"Then why are you here? And why didn't Starclan tell us the same?" Nightpaw pressed.

"I'm here because Starclan are being mouse-brained." Jayfeather said bluntly.

"And my theory on why Starclan didn't tell us is because of how we came to be here." Snaketail answered, trying hard not to think of the fact that they were originally human because she knew Jayfeather's power. Jayfeather's startled glance in her direction proved that she was not successful.

"I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone else." Snaketail asked. "I think it would cause complications if the rest of the clan cats knew that we were once human."

Jayfeather swallowed, visibly collecting himself.

"_How_?"

"Long ago, a Riverclan tom took to kit-killing. Starclan couldn't stop him so they found a way to let the kits he murdered live. They found willing host bodies to keep the kittens safe until they could be returned to the clans. Once we were all assembled, Starclan gave us feline bodies to better bring us here."

"There are so many secrets and so much strangeness these days. What's one more secret on top of that? I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you, Jayfeather."

"Thanks." Nightpaw added.

"Were all of you originally twolegs?"

"No, but most of us were. Obviously neither of the foxes was. And Duskmist, Badgerswipe, Crimsonclaw, Moonleap, Snowlion, Tornadoclaw, and Silverstar's and Tornadoclaw's kits were all born feline."

"Do any of them know your origin?"

"Badgerswipe, Crimsonclaw, Moonleap, Snowlion, and Tornadoclaw do. The five of them were originally kittypets. Four of them lived with me."

"What about the fifth?"

"Tornadoclaw lived with Silverstar."

"As much as I enjoy conversing, we're wasting moonlight." Nightpaw interrupted them.

"Right." Snaketail agreed, standing again. "I just have one more thing to do before we share tongues with Starclan.

"I, Snaketail, medicine cat of Winterclan, call upon Starclan to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her clan for many moons. Nightpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between clan and clan, and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Nightpaw promised solemnly.

"Then, with Starclan's approval, I give you your true name as a medicine cat. Nightpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Nightshade. Starclan honors your courage in the face of difficulty." Snaketail leaned forward and laid her muzzle atop Nightshade's head. Nightshade licked Snaketail's shoulder in return.

"Thank you, Snaketail. I'll do my best for Fireclan and for all the clans."

"I know you will. I'm just sorry the other four medicine cats weren't here to welcome you."

Nightshade nodded and shrugged before lying down to drink from the Moonpool. Jayfeather and Snaketail followed her into sleep.

"Hello Snaketail." Snaketail opened her eyes to find herself back in Winterclan territory with Cloudfrost beside her.

"Cloudfrost? What are you doing here?"

"Some of our Dark Forest clanmates questioned why you would visit the Moonpool tonight."

"To keep up appearances for my living clanmates, of course. I wouldn't want them suspecting anything was wrong."

"Of course. Yes, I told them that you would fight on our side when the battle comes, Snaketail." Cloudfrost reassured her. "After all," he continued, standing up. "You'd never intentionally make the cat you'd give your life for into a distinct target."

"Don't hurt her." Snaketail begged in a quiet exhalation as her paws seemed to freeze to the ground she was sitting on. "Please, Cloudfrost."

"As I said," Cloudfrost responded with a small smile. "I _know_ you'll fight on our side of this war."

Snaketail woke, heartbeat still racing from Cloudfrost's threat against Snowlion. As her heart slowed back to its normal pace, Snaketail's thoughts stilled into a calm certainty that she couldn't remember ever having felt before.

'Yes,' Snaketail thought. 'Snowlion is definitely the cat I would die for. But she's more than just that, Cloudfrost. She is the cat I will kill for.'

As she stood up, Nightshade said something and Jayfeather responded but Snaketail couldn't focus her mind on understanding the noises they made as words.

"I need to return to my camp. I'll see you both later." Snaketail said before racing toward home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Silverstar looked up from grooming her tallest kit, a dark brown tabby tom that she had named Tigerkit, as Snaketail raced into camp.

"What's wrong?" Silverstar asked, alarmed.

"Nothing." Snaketail said with a very decisive shake of her head. "Nothing wrong at all. I just felt like running. Sorry for alarming you." She added the last sentence in a more normal tone.

"Okay. That's fine. What did Starclan have to say?"

"Starclan was silent tonight. And most of the other medicine cats didn't come; it was only Jayfeather, Nightshade, and me. Jayfeather told us that Starclan had previously barred the other medicine cats from seeing each other."

"Why would they do that? I thought medicine cats were usually close."

"In all the books I've read they were, and Jayfeather's attitude indicated that they used to be. He said that Starclan were being mousebrained so I imagine this separation is a recent thing owing to the activity in the Dark Forest."

"Right, that reminds me. I planned on asking which of our clanmates were training in the Dark Forest. I want to continue Darkstar's idea of extra battle training for those who want it."

"I am–" Snaketail began.

"You?" Silverstar asked in surprise. Snaketail twitched her whiskers in mild amusement.

"Yes, me. And at least two others but I want to talk to them before I give their names." Silverstar flicked the tip of her tail. She was proud of Snaketail's loyalty to her clanmates but annoyed that Snaketail wouldn't share what she knew.

"Alright. If they don't mind, go ahead and tell me whenever."

"I will."

"Thanks." Snaketail nodded and walked over to where Moonleap, Eaglewing, and Wolffang were talking. Silverstar watched as her friend settled down and joined their conversation but her kits began complaining and she had to bring them back into the nursery where they'd be warmer. Snowlion and Tornadoclaw were sharing tongues when she came in but they stopped and stood to give her more room.

"Do you need help carrying your kits in?" Snowlion offered.

"Yes please." Silverstar asked, resting her smallest kit, a white she-kit named Dovekit, into their nest. Tornadoclaw waved her tail at her four kittens and they followed the other two queens out to pick up the younger kits.

Snowlion held Tigerkit, Tornadoclaw brought a golden-brown she-kit that Silverstar called Amberkit, Meadowkit carried a reddish-brown tomkit named Rowankit, Cliffkit had Gingerkit, a she-cat that looked very like Rowankit, and Lavenderkit held a pale brown tomkit called Ryekit. Ravenkit was left without a kitten to carry.

After all of her kits were in the nest again, Silverstar curled up around them, wrapping her tail tightly against their fur.

"Thank you all." Silverstar said gratefully. Meadowkit, Cliffkit, and Lavenderkit looked proud of themselves but Ravenkit looked like she felt a little left out. "I'm very grateful to all four of you for being so willing to help." Silverstar continued and Ravenkit perked up. "Tornadoclaw, why don't you show them some basic battle moves?" Tornadoclaw looked at her steadily for a moment.

"Because of that thing Darkstar suggested extra training for when we were Leafclan?"

"It can't hurt to be prepared." Silverstar said lightly. Tornadoclaw nodded and stood up again.

"Alright, come on kits. Let's see if Moonleap wants to help." The four younger cats bounced excitedly around her as she led them from the den.

Snaketail entered the den a while after Tornadoclaw left. Silverstar pricked her ears, hoping that Snaketail would give her the names she wanted now.

"Hey, Silverstar." Snaketail greeted her before turning her attention to Snowlion. "Snowlion, I wanted to give you a checkup. You're a fair bit older now than when you last had kits."

"That's true. And I don't want anything negative to happen to my little ones." Snowlion said, laying down on her side so Snaketail could check her over. As Snaketail gently rubbed Snowlion's belly, she spoke.

"Oh, and Silverstar? Wolffang and Moonleap are training with me."

"Oh! Okay." Silverstar acknowledged, surprised that her mate was training alongside such evil cats. 'But then,' She reminded herself. 'So is Snaketail. And Moonleap. None of those three are evil.'

"Mrr?" Snowlion asked, curious about the exchange. Snaketail kept quiet so Silverstar felt pressured into giving an answer.

"I asked Snaketail about who was training in the Dark Forest but she had to ask the other two before giving me any names."

"Ah, I see." Snowlion said, trying to catch Snaketail's eye. Snaketail didn't acknowledge that Snowlion was making an effort but also didn't match her gaze.

"Anyway Snowlion, from what I can tell the kits are healthy but let me know if you notice any complaints."

"I will. Thank you, Snaketail."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Can we see the new kittens yet?" Silverstar's little white she-kit asked her, the kitten's green eyes wide.

"That's up to Snowlion, Dovekit." Silverstar reminded her.

"But you're leader!" Dovekit insisted.

"They're her kits."

Dovekit scowled heavily at her mother before walking back to her five siblings angrily. Silverstar watched her leave, assuming correctly that Snowlion had already told the older kits 'no'.

Snowlion had given birth to three kittens last night and had been keeping every cat except for Snaketail at a careful distance but Silverstar had gotten a glimpse of them and the splotched brown and white fur that each of them bore to some degree suggested that their father might be Eaglewing.

Snaketail entered the nursery, interrupting Silverstar's train of thought.

"Hey, Silverstar. Tornadoclaw. Snowlion." The gray tabby said in greeting, addressing each cat in turn. Her voice went softer for Snowlion as it always did. "Shiningheart wanted to discuss patrols with you, Silverstar. And I wanted to give all of the kittens a checkup. Pebblefur and Wolffang have both caught a cough." Silverstar nodded and stood to leave but Eaglewing entered just before she could.

"Hey, Snowlion. I wanted to visit the kits." He said, lifting his paw to take a step forward.

"Go away!" Snowlion snarled, stopping him mid-step.

"Snowlion!" Snaketail exclaimed, shocked. Eaglewing stepped back, hurt. "He's their father."

"I don't care." Snowlion hissed. "I'm not allowing any toms near my kittens!"

"Eaglewing has a right to see his kits. I told you that before."

"That may be the way humans do things but I was never human. These kittens are _mine_, and I'll protect them from _any_ danger."

"Eaglewing's no danger to them." Snowlion turned her back on the rest of the nursery, curling her kits closer, and didn't respond. Snaketail turned to face Eaglewing as he half-turned towards the exit.

"I'm sorry, Eaglewing." Snaketail apologized. "Maybe it'd be better to visit another time."

"Yeah. It's not your fault," Eaglewing responded, shaking his head. "I'll be able to see them when they're older." But his head and tail drooped as he left the nursery and walked away.

After Eaglewing left, Snowlion let Snaketail get close enough to check over her three but kept a careful eye on them.

"Kestrelkit and Owlkit seem to be fine but I worry that Quailkit's thinner pelt may make him more prone to the cold." Snaketail cautioned.

"I'll keep him warm enough." Snowlion promised.

"All right." Snaketail agreed with a nod. "Just wanted you to be warned." Snowlion nodded and turned to groom her kits as Snaketail left to approach Ravenkit and Cliffkit where they were talking at the furthest end of the nursery log. They both looked up and quit speaking before she reached them.

Then Silverstar remembered that Shiningheart had wanted to talk with her so left the nursery. The cold leaf-bare wind whipped through her pelt sharply as she looked around for her deputy.

"What's up?" Silverstar asked once she found her.

"Our lack of able warriors is making our patrols difficult. I know that Tornadoclaw's kits are only five moons old but if we keep them out of battle training and border patrols until their sixth moon, they could at least help with hunting, which would free up our older warriors for border patrols."

"I'm reluctant to train kits too young but you may be right. Our elders are a great help but they aren't moving as well as the younger cats. All right, I'll discuss it with Tornadoclaw."

"On that note, Hazelwood's patrol ran into trouble on the Windclan border. A skirmish over prey."

"What happened? Was anyone hurt?"

"Breezepelt caught a rabbit that ran over the border. Moonleap had been chasing it before it reached the scent mark and didn't stop in time. But no, nobody actually got hurt."

"Who all was on that patrol?"

"Just those two." Silverstar closed her eyes as she thought about how thinly her clan had been spread.

"Okay. Has a hunting patrol gone out today?"

"Frostpelt and Wolffang went out this morning."

"'Kay. I'll bring Tornadoclaw hunting and talk to her while we're out. Snowlion can keep an eye on the kits."

"Should I tell them or will you?"

"I will. Thank you, though, Shiningheart."

"Of course. Shall I take Eaglewing along the Riverclan border?"

"Sure. If you find any good prey, bring some home also."

"I will. Good hunting."

"Good hunting."

The two cats separated, Shiningheart locating her brother while Silverstar returned to the nursery.

"Snowlion, will you watch over the kits while Tornadoclaw and I go out hunting."

"Of course." Snowlion agreed readily.

"Just give them back when we return." Tornadoclaw teased.

"I _might_." Snowlion responded in kind. "Enjoy your hunt." Silverstar twitched her whiskers as she saw how close Tornadoclaw had gotten to the other natural cat. Before the change, Tornadoclaw had been extremely territorial against any other cat but more than just the humans had changed when Leafclan was formed.

Tornadoclaw and Silverstar left camp and wandered toward the lake.

"Tornadoclaw, do you think your kits are old enough to begin learning to hunt?" Silverstar asked, vaguely nervous about asking to break the warrior code.

"Of course." Tornadoclaw said promptly, sounding surprised at the question. "Moonleap and I have been teaching them the basics of hunting for over a moon now. And Snowlion said she'd help also once her kits are old enough."

"Oh, well, I'm thinking of assigning them mentors." Silverstar floundered.

"Okay. Did you have anyone in mind for any of them?"

"I'd like to train one of them but I haven't given it much thought yet.

"I want Moonleap to train Meadowkit." Tornadoclaw said firmly.

"Parents don't usually mentor their kits."

"So make an exception." Silverstar gave Tornadoclaw a startled glance.

"Snowlion's rubbing off on you. Alright, Moonleap can train Meadowkit. And I'll take Lavenderkit. So I just need mentors for Ravenkit and Cliffkit."

"Neither of them are interested in being medicine cat and Pebblefur is too young to train an apprentice, but what about Eaglewing."

"He could train Cliffkit. And I guess Shiningheart can train Ravenkit."

"Wolffang hasn't had an apprentice." Tornadoclaw noted

"I'm not sure he'd make a good mentor." Silverstar decided.

"Okay." Tornadoclaw accepted with a shrug. "Now, are we going to hunt or just talk about mentors?"

"Let's hunt." Silverstar agreed. They split off to hunt alone and the sun was reaching towards the horizon before Silverstar returned to camp.

"How was the hunting?" Shiningheart greeted her.

"An empty night." Silverstar said, somewhat bitterly. "I didn't catch anything. Has Tornadoclaw returned yet?"

"Yeah. She found a bird that a rat had killed and brought them both home. And Eaglewing and I caught a fair-sized rabbit."

"Have the elders eaten?"

"Yes. And Snowlion took the rat."

Silverstar nodded in acknowledgement and leapt onto the stone-pile.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the stone-pile for a clan meeting!" Silverstar watched as most of her clanmates converged in front of her. Snowlion lay in front of the nursery entrance to block the younger kits from getting out. This didn't stop Rowankit from sitting on his back paws to stare over her back. Tornadoclaw led her four out proudly.

Silverstar nodded at them to come forward and Ravenkit ran to get closer. Lavenderkit leaned over to whisper something in Cliffkit's ear and they both purred with laughter. Meadowkit was looking around with wide eyes at the warriors around her.

"Ravenkit, from now until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Ravenpaw. Your mentor will be Shiningheart." Ravenpaw's clanmates cheered her name while Shiningheart touched noses with her and led her aside.

"Meadowkit, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Meadowpaw. Moonleap will be your mentor." Silverstar waited to hear someone object to Moonleap mentoring his daughter but did so and Silverstar relaxed.

"Cliffkit, you will be known as Cliffpaw until you receive your warrior name. Eaglewing will mentor you. And Lavenderkit, until you receive your warrior name you will be Lavenderpaw. I'll be your mentor."

Silverstar leapt from her perch to brush whiskers with the young gray she-cat.

"What will we do first, Silverstar?" Lavenderpaw asked. Nearby, her siblings were each pestering their mentors to varying degrees for answers to that same question.

"I thought we'd begin learning the hunting crouches for different types of prey with Moonleap and Meadowpaw."

"That sounds fun."

Silverstar caught up with Moonleap and the two of them led their apprentices out to a grassy hill that Pebblefur had found a couple days ago and thought would make a good training place. As they arrived, Silverstar saw a gray tabby tomcat approaching Winterclan's border. With a flick of her tail to summon her clanmates around her, Silverstar ran closer to address him. As she approached, she recognized him as Thunderclan's medicine cat; Jayfeather.

"Jayfeather. What are you doing on Winterclan territory?" Silverstar asked politely.

"I need to visit Mothwing."

"All right. If any of my patrols stop you, tell them that I said it was okay."

"Thank you. It's Silverstar, right?"

"Yes. Go well."

"Thanks." Jayfeather repeated before running off, staying close to the lake. Silverstar watched him leave before bringing Moonleap and the apprentices back to the training hill to begin.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Cloudfrost?" Snaketail asked. The two of them were watching Wildear practice attacks that Onestone, a white cat with a black spot on his face, had taught her. A dark-furred Windclan tom who was addressed as Breezepelt was sparring with her. Cloudfrost had decided that Snaketail would watch them to see how the move was done and he would practice it with her later.

"Yes?"

"How did you come to be here? In the Dark Forest, I mean."

"I didn't believe that every cat that entered my den deserved to leave."

"Mrr?"

"Some of them were too weak-willed for a true warrior's lifestyle so I mixed a little bit of shredded poison hemlock root into their herbs." His right claws kneaded as though remembering the action of shredding the roots.

"You poisoned the cats who came to you for healing?" Cloudfrost gave her an amused glance for her shock.

"Yes. It became quite bothersome to have cats who were supposed to be strong warriors mewling like kits over the slightest scrape and bump. Windclan had some true warriors in my time but also too many kit-warriors walking alongside them."

"What about the current Windclan warriors? Are they _true_ warriors by your definition?"

"I think you misunderstand me, Snaketail. I'm not saying that they weren't true warriors because they didn't act and think like me. They weren't true warriors because they didn't believe they needed to act responsibly. They were a threat to the clan through their recklessness. Now, you'd do better to watch your clanmates. I'll expect you to remember their attacks later."

Snaketail flicked her ears back in embarrassment at the rebuke but did as she was told with a muttered apology.

After Wildear and Breezepelt finished sparring and Cloudfrost and Snaketail had stood to leave, a long-furred white she-cat ran into the clearing they were training in.

"What is it, Snowlion?" Breezepelt's mentor, a creamy ginger and white she-cat named Morningdapple asked.

"Tawnyheather sent me to tell the three of you that Maggottail has called a meeting. She gave me permission to continue training with your apprentices if you don't mind them staying here."

"It doesn't bother me." Morningdapple decided, looking to the other Dark Forest warriors for their opinions.

"I trust Wildear." Onestone said in his hoarse voice.

"Snaketail can train with you." Cloudfrost agreed.

"Thank you. Tawnyheather said she might send Hazelsong to check on us if she's not too busy."

"Where is Tawnyheather?" Onestone asked.

"She said she'd be at the usual meeting spot but I'm not sure where that is. She hasn't shown it to me yet."

Onestone nodded in acknowledgement and led Cloudfrost and Morningdapple away.

After the Dark Forest warriors were well and truly gone, Breezepelt stepped forward to whisper something in Snowlion's ear.

"I trust her." Snowlion responded.

"That doesn't necessarily answer my question." Breezepelt observed.

"Snaketail, could you give us a moment?" Wildear asked. Snaketail blinked in surprise.

"Alright. Just let me know when I can return." She agreed, standing to walk a few feet away. There was no way to measure the time that passed while she was waiting but it felt to Snaketail like quite a long time before Wildear invited her back.

"What's up?" Snaketail asked the three of them.

"We just needed to talk something over." Breezepelt answered. "It's nothing that concerns you." Snaketail felt a twinge of anger but decided against dwelling on it.

"Okay. Then shall we train." They battled each other until they could feel the pull of waking. At some point in their sparring, a golden-furred she-cat with black stripes came to watch them.

"Snowlion, should we meet at the usual place today?" Breezepelt asked before they took their leave.

"I can't. I've got kittens to look after. It'll be a while before they're big enough to defend themselves without me there."

"You know that Mapleshade's suggestion was agreed on." Breezepelt warned her nervously. "Where will you bring them during the battle?"

"I talked it over with Tawnyheather. She showed me a place where she believes they'll be safe."

"Nowhere in clan territory will be safe for young kits."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Snowlion agreed, now equally worried. "I'll bring it up with Tawnyheather again. See what we can work out."

"Snowlion," Snaketail began. Snowlion and Breezepelt turned to face her. "You know I'll do everything in my power to keep you and your kits safe from any danger."

"I know you will." Snowlion nodded. "But you'll be busy healing the injured. I want to keep my kits as far from the fight as I can."

"That makes sense." Snaketail conceded. "If you need any help bringing them to whatever safe place you find, I'd be happy to lend a paw."

"I'll help too." Breezepelt promised.

"Thank you both." Snowlion purred, leaning against Breezepelt.

"Time to wake up." Wildear observed aloud. Snowlion and Snaketail nodded as Breezepelt faded from view. One by one, they each left.

Silverstar woke with a huff as Rowankit landed heavily on her side.

"What are you doing?" She gasped out.

"Sorry Mom." Rowankit apologized. "We were playing. I didn't mean to fall on you."

"Alright. Why don't you go play outside? There's just not enough room in here for your roughhousing." Her kits wasted no time in racing outside. Silverstar stretched and yawned before following them. Snowlion looked up as the kittens ran past and watched them leave with a vaguely troubled expression but Silverstar didn't give it much thought as she followed her little ones.

Silverstar attempted to count heads as her kits tumbled and sparred together.

"Where's Tigerkit?" She asked them.

"I don't know." Ryekit answered, a moment before Dovekit pounced on him. Silverstar sighed.

"Stay close to the nursery and don't get hurt." She instructed the kits as she began walking towards Snaketail's den.

"I'll keep an eye on them." Lavenderpaw promised, shaking a bit of moss from her pelt as she left her den.

"Thanks Lavenderpaw." The young gray she-cat nodded happily and sat nearby to watch the crowd of kittens as Silverstar finished the short walk to Snaketail's den.

"So what's this?" Tigerkit's voice asked.

"That's blackberry root. If someone gets a cough that sticks around, chewing on blackberry root can help." Snaketail answered

"Does it have a bad flavor?"

"The bark around the root does but that should be peeled off first anyway." Silverstar sat quietly and watched them talk.

"How come? Is it bad for you?"

"No, but it has different medicinal properties so I save it for that."

"What does it do?"

"It helps take care of diarrhea. To do that, I put the bark in here and let the medicine seep into the water. If one of our clanmates gets diarrhea, I'll have them drink from here." Snaketail had pointed to a roughly dug hollow in the tree root that framed the entrance to her den. The gray tabby had dug it herself soon after she claimed that den and lined the hole with oak leaves so that the water would have a harder time soaking away.

"How do you keep bugs out?" Tigerkit asked.

"I haven't found a way to keep them out yet so each morning I pick out any that have fallen in during the night." Then Snaketail looked up and noticed Silverstar sitting nearby.

"Oh, Silverstar! I didn't notice you. Sorry." Snaketail apologized with a laugh.

"I just came to see if Tigerkit was here. Will you be okay watching him for a while?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I was just telling him the benefits of blackberry root."

"I'm gonna be a medicine cat when I grow up!" Tigerkit boasted.

"You'll be the best medicine cat." Silverstar agreed. Shiningheart cleared her throat softly as she approached them.

"Silverstar, would you mind taking Lavenderpaw and Frostpelt out hunting? I'll get Snowlion to watch the kittens."

"Sure. Are the border patrols figured out?"

"Eaglewing's bringing Hazelwood and Cliffpaw to the Windclan border; Moonleap, Meadowpaw, and Tornadoclaw are at the Riverclan border; and I'm taking Ravenpaw along the lake and we'll go hunting afterward. Pebblefur, Spruceheart, and Wolffang went on dawn patrol this morning so I told them to protect the camp until Eaglewing finishes his patrol. Then they'll take a turn hunting also." Silverstar followed Shiningheart as she walked away while she spoke. Snaketail continued her conversation with Tigerkit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"Silverstar?" Snowlion asked.

"Yeah?" It had been a quarter-moon since Tigerkit had decided verbally that he'd be medicine cat and the two queens were relaxing in their nests for the night.

"Has Snaketail given you much information about what goes on in the Dark Forest?"

"She tells me what she can but she doesn't think Cloudfrost trusts her very much."

"No, he doesn't."

"Are you training there also?"

"Yes."

"Snaketail didn't tell me that."

"Maybe she forgot. I don't know."

"Maybe. So why did you ask?" Silverstar inquired, deciding that there was no way Snaketail would forget about Snowlion. 'I'll ask Snaketail more about that later.'

"I was just curious about what you might have learned. I didn't have anything specific in mind."

"Okay." Silverstar replied, drawing out the word a little. Snowlion ignored that and curled up around her three kittens to sleep. Following her cue, Silverstar also tucked her tail around her kits and slept.

"Wake up!" Snowlion's snarl woke Silverstar abruptly. The long-furred queen was bristled to easily twice her size and was closer than Silverstar liked.

"What's wrong?" Silverstar asked, leaning away.

"My kits are gone!" She hissed. "Your brood has led them into trouble somewhere!"

"What makes you think my kits are to blame?"

"Why else would they also be gone?"

"It does them no good to stand here arguing." Silverstar decided. "We need to go find them." Snowlion nodded in agreement and pushed past Silverstar to leave the den. Silverstar followed close behind, sniffing for scent at the den exit.

"Pebblefur!" Snowlion called. The young vixen had been on guard duty last night.

"Yeah?" She asked, turning to look at them.

"The kits are gone." Silverstar informed her. "Did you see anything?"

"No, I didn't." She answered, worried.

"Then what good are you?" Snowlion snarled at her as she passed.

"Wake Shiningheart to get search patrols together. Snowlion and I are going out now." Silverstar instructed. Pebblefur nodded and raced to the warrior's den. Silverstar had to run to catch up with Snowlion and when she did, found the white queen sniffing carefully at the undergrowth for a trace of scent that the kits might have left behind. Silverstar joined her in the search.

After several false starts and way more time than Silverstar wanted to waste, she finally caught Gingerkit's scent on a blackberry vine. A thorn had snagged some of the kitten's fur.

"Snowlion, over here!" Silverstar called. Snowlion ran over and sniffed at the tuft of fuzz for herself before taking off in the direction the fur indicated. Silverstar gave chase but only caught up after Snowlion stopped. The reason she stopped is because Meadowpaw had just leaped over an Oregon grape bush.

'I see why Tornadoclaw wanted Moonleap to train her.' Silverstar thought in surprise.

"Silverstar, Snowlion, perfect! We need you at the Windclan border. The kits are there." Snowlion and Silverstar began running in the direction Meadowpaw had come from before she finished.

When they found the rest of Meadowpaw's patrol Frostpelt and Moonleap were watching a dark-furred Windclan tomcat cautiously. The kittens were huddled together between the older Winterclan cats. Silverstar raced alongside Snowlion to check over the kits before addressing the Windclan cat.

"Did you need something?" Silverstar asked him. He looked up from his grooming lazily and looked her over before answering.

"Nothing from you, Silverstar." He growled.

"Be polite, Breezepelt." Snowlion reminded him. His ears pricked up as he noticed her.

"Hey, Snowlion. These ones yours?"

"Do you know this tom, Snowlion?" Silverstar asked.

"You would also if you'd paid attention when we were in their camp. Breezepelt brought in a hunting patrol not long after we arrived. He caught the rabbit Wolffang brought you." Snowlion informed her. Then she turned back to Breezepelt. "Only the youngest three are mine. The older kits are Silverstar's."

"Do you need help carrying them home?" Breezepelt offered. Snowlion opened her mouth to answer but Silverstar beat her to it.

"No thank you. We can manage."

"Okay." He conceded with a nod. As Silverstar turned around to pick up one of the smaller kittens, Snowlion slipped around behind her to say something to Breezepelt before returning to help.

Snowlion, Meadowpaw, and Moonleap carried Snowlion's kittens and Frostpelt carried Ryekit. Silverstar grabbed Dovekit and pushed the bigger four kits to their paws. When they got back to camp, Snowlion began to lead Meadowpaw and Moonleap back to the nursery but Silverstar stopped them.

"I want to know what in the world you were thinking." Silverstar growled at the kits. Tigerkit and Dovekit ducked their heads, ashamed, and Amberkit, Ryekit, and Rowankit glanced at each other guiltily. Owlkit and Quailkit tried their best to disappear and Gingerkit and Kestrelkit looked to each other.

"I wanted to see what was outside the camp." Kestrelkit answered.

"We both did." Gingerkit added. "We convinced the others to come with us."

"You'll be able to see our territory when your _apprentices_, no sooner."

"But that's ages away!" Kestrelkit complained.

"It'll be longer if you break the rules again." Silverstar threatened.

"What!" Rowankit exclaimed. "You wouldn't really keep us kits would you?"

"It's dangerous outside camp. I need to make sure you understand that."

"I can take care of scratches." Tigerkit spoke up. "Snaketail showed me how."

"I'm not talking about scratches. I'm talking about badgers and foxes and snakes and poisonous plants." Quailkit's eyes got wide at all the dangers and Silverstar felt a prick of guilt for scaring him. "Now, you can go back to the nursery but I don't want any of you to do this again. Understood?" Quailkit, Owlkit, and Dovekit nodded fervently before running for the safety of the nursery, Dovekit helping the younger two along. Amberkit, Ryekit, and Rowankit also nodded but walked slower to the nursery.

"We understand, Silverstar." Tigerkit agreed, leading the last two back. Gingerkit and Kestrelkit whispered to each other as they walked.

Silverstar watched them leave, sighed in annoyance, and followed them.

"I'd like to stick around camp today if that's possible." Silverstar told Shiningheart as she passed the dark tabby.

"I'll see what I can do." Shiningheart promised. Silverstar nodded in gratitude and joined the kits and Snowlion in the nursery.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Snaketail?" Silverstar asked, peering into the medicine den. It had been two days after the kits had walked to the Windclan border and Silverstar wanted to try offering the kits a little more freedom to see if they were actually obeying the rules or just trying to avoid getting in trouble.

"Here." Snaketail said from behind her. Silverstar turned around to face her, a little quicker than normal from surprise.

"Don't do that!" Silverstar squeaked.

"Sorry." Snaketail apologized, her whiskers twitching in laughter. "What'd you need?"

"Want to go on a walk?"

"Sure. Do you mind if I collect plants while we're out?"

"No, that's fine." Silverstar allowed, leading the tabby out of camp. They continued walking, with Snaketail pausing now and again to collect some leaf or root, until they reached the lake.

"Snaketail?" Silverstar asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" She responded, sitting next to Silverstar to give her all of her attention.

"Why didn't you mention that Snowlion was with the Dark Forest also?"

"I didn't get her permission to tell you."

"But she told me herself and seemed surprised that you hadn't."

"I didn't get the _chance_ to ask her permission." Snaketail clarified.

"Ah, okay." Silverstar said, relinquishing her argument even though she could think of at least two times in the past week that Snaketail and Snowlion had been the only ones left in camp with the kits.

"Did you have anything else to say?" Snaketail asked, standing and pawing her pile of plants closer.

"No. Go on back to camp. I'm going to hunt for a while." Silverstar decided.

"Take care." Snaketail bid her before picking the pile up and walking away. After the gray tabby left, Silverstar stretched and walked along the lakeside until she reached the Riverclan border. A Riverclan patrol had just passed and Silverstar could still see the two cats walking beside the borderline but they were too far away to recognize. As she watched, a black and white cat led a gray and white cat from Winterclan territory to the border and the two patrols sat down to speak.

'What's going on?' Silverstar wondered silently, beginning to approach. Her slow walk sped to a run as the two groups stood again and began fighting. Every cat froze and turned to look as Silverstar crashed through the ferns to arrive in their midst.

"What happened?" Silverstar asked her clanmates. Wolffang and Tornadoclaw glanced at each other and the mottled gray Riverclan tom spoke up.

"I accidentally crossed the border. Your cats were just sending me back to my territory." The light brown tabby glanced at him but didn't say anything.

"Okay." Silverstar acknowledged. "Be more careful in future."

"We will." The brown tabby tom agreed. He glanced at his clanmate and they continued their border patrol.

"We should try to avoid picking fights right now." Silverstar warned Tornadoclaw and Wolffang as soon as the Riverclan cats were out of hearing range. "Our clan is still much smaller than any other clan so we can't afford a serious fight with any of them."

"Yeah. Sorry, Silverstar." Tornadoclaw apologized.

"Sorry." Wolffang echoed.

"Go ahead and hunt before returning to camp. I'll finish patrolling the border."

"You shouldn't do the patrol alone." Wolffang said, worried about her.

"I'll be fine. Go hunt." Wolffang still looked reluctant but he obeyed her and followed Tornadoclaw away.

(I must once again apologize for a short chapter. I've been distracted by a different project so I haven't been typing as regularly.)


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

"Everyone who's coming to the Gathering, assemble at the camp entrance." Shiningheart called. She and Silverstar had discussed which cats those were earlier in the day and they both made sure that those cats knew that they were going. The sun had just finished setting but Silverstar wanted to be certain that they wouldn't be late.

Shiningheart jumped from the stone-pile and Silverstar led her clanmates across Riverclan's territory to the fallen tree. Riverclan and Shadowclan were already waiting in the clearing but Thunderclan, Windclan, and Fireclan had yet to arrive.

As Snaketail joined the other medicine cats, Silverstar sat next to Mistystar and Blackstar at the base of the oak tree.

"Is your clan settling in well?" Mistystar asked politely.

"Yeah. The territory still has secrets we haven't found but we're learning more about it each day."

"Have the kittypets been any trouble?" Blackstar wondered. Silverstar blinked. She hadn't noticed any kittypets hanging around the horse-place but she didn't want to admit that she didn't know who he was talking about.

"No, they've stayed out of the way." Silverstar finally responded. Silverstar was relieved when Windclan arrived, closely followed by Fireclan because the other leaders decided to climb into the tree's branches to wait for Thunderclan.

"Everyone doing okay?" Darkstar asked as he perched on the branch next to her.

"Yeah. Snowlion and her kittens are sharing the nursery with mine."

"Oh, you've had your kits already?"

"Yeah. I have six of them. They're so cute!" Darkstar gave a purr of laughter.

"What are their names?"

"Amberkit, Dovekit, Tigerkit, Rowankit, Gingerkit, and Ryekit. And Snowlion's kits are Quailkit, Kestrelkit, and Owlkit. Does your clan have any kits?"

"Fireclan. And no, not yet. Although Rosethorn, Shadowlion, and Wildear are pregnant."

Thunderclan's arrival cut off their conversation as the cats from Shadowclan, Windclan, and Riverclan turned on the Thunderclan cats with hostility.

"Let the Gathering begin." Blackstar yowled. The cats in the clearing beneath them settled down attentively.

"Thank you, Firestar." Blackstar continued, dipping his head to the Thunderclan leader. "You have followed the wishes of the clans and kept Jayfeather confined to camp until we discover the truth about Flametail's death."

"How will the truth be known?" A black and brown Thunderclan tom called out.

"We are waiting for Starclan to speak." The Shadowclan medicine cat stepped forward to say. He glanced at the cream-furred she-cat pacing in front of him. "It's a difficult situation for us all."

"None of us are comfortable with it." Willowshine of Riverclan said as she stood.

Onestar stood to take his turn at addressing the clans. "Windclan has had good hunting over the past moon. We are ready for the coming season."

"We, too." Mistystar agreed with a nod. "Greenleaf has filled the lake with fish and there has been no illness in Riverclan."

"Starclan has blessed all the clans this greenleaf." Firestar said with a flick of his tail. "Would you like to report?" He asked Darkstar in a quieter voice.

"Fireclan has settled into our new territory well and our warriors are strong and healthy."

"Winterclan also has been doing well this past moon. Our nursery has been blessed with two healthy litters."

"Riverclan has had only one concern." Mistystar spoke again, tipping her head to scan the clan cats below. "There have been traces of rogues and loners appearing in our territory. No cat has been spotted, but there have been strange scents and paw prints. And yet we have found no trails across our scent lines. It's as if the cats simply appeared inside our territories."

"We have also seen signs of rogue intruders." Firestar agreed, his eyes sharp with interest. "They've come at night and we've set up extra patrols, but no cat has actually been seen."

"We've had strange scents, too." Onestar admitted.

"There have been rogues in Shadowclan's forests as well."

"We've also found strange scents." Silverstar acknowledged.

"As have we." Darkstar added. "We suspect that we know who it is also."

"Who do you think it is?" Firestar asked. Mistystar, Onestar, and Blackstar stared at Darkstar. Silverstar also looked over at her friend but not with as much focus as the other leaders.

"Uh...Wow, there's a lot o' you when you're all focusin' on me. Anyway, our suspect is the Dark Forest. They have been making moves that I'm sure we all have noticed."

"The Dark Forest?" Onestar asked.

"How could they be invading our territory?" Blackstar pressed.

"Wildear, would you answer?" The calico she-cat stood up with a nod.

"The Dark Forest cats have been training warriors from every clan in our sleep. They-"

"You're with them?" Blackstar interrupted. The cats from the original four clans turned on her with hostility so Fireclan and Winterclan moved around her defensively.

"Yes, many cats here are. The Dark-"

"Who are they?" Mistystar asked. "Which of our clanmates are traitors?"

"If y'all would shut up, maybe she could finish her report." Darkstar snapped.

"The cats of the Dark Forest have been teaching their apprentices moves from every clan and recently one of their higher-ranking warriors decided that we should see every clan's territory. We've been visiting a different clan's territory each night. That's why there's no scent around the borders."

"What can we do about them?" A black Shadowclan tom asked.

"We should all step up patrols and try to find these patrols." Firestar responded.

"We must stay alert!" a Riverclan warrior yowled.

Firestar pressed on. "And if any clan finds evidence, we must share it with the other clans!"

"We should make a battle plan." Blackstar argued.

"I agree." Silverstar voiced.

"We're stronger side by side." Mistystar added. "We should work together in this battle."

"Thunderclan will join Riverclan in this battle." Firestar agreed.

"Windclan will join the alliance." Onestar let the wind tug at his tail as he spoke.

"We will do what we can to defend you, even if you choose not to join." Firestar said to Blackstar. Blackstar curled his lip at Firestar's assumption.

"My clan will join. But there will be one condition."

"Very well." Firestar pricked his ears.

"On Shadowclan territory, Shadowclan is in charge of any warrior from any clan." He scowled at Firestar. "Even a clan leader."

Firestar nodded. "Okay."

"That'd be a good rule for each clan's territory." Darkstar commented.

"Where do you think the Dark Forest will attack first?" Mistystar asked Wildear.

"They'll go where they think they can cause the most damage." Duskmist answered, standing by his mate.

"Patrols must move through all the territories night and day." Onestar suggested. "There must be no borders to block their way."

Blackstar's eyes glittered. "Enemy patrols moving freely through my territory?"

"We're not enemies now." Firestar reminded him. "I suggest there be one patrol in each territory made up of warriors from all six clans. I'll send three warriors to each of your camps tomorrow."

"So soon?" Mistystar asked.

"We must be prepared." Firestar insisted. "Will you each send three warriors to Thunderclan?"

Mistystar nodded first, followed by Onestar and Blackstar.

"Our clans are still very small. We can't afford to send three cats to every camp." Silverstar said. "I'm afraid I'll only be able to send out one cat to each clan."

"Fireclan can send two cats but we're also too small to send three. And warriors from every clan will have to accept sharing a camp with a fox."

Mistystar swallowed nervously and looked down to her deputy.

"Shadowclan would fight alongside one of the foxes if you're certain that they will loyally fight on the side of the clans." Blackstar flicked his ear.

"As far as I know, neither Pebblefur nor Cloudpaw are training with the Dark Forest." Wildear assured them.

"Windclan has met both of your foxes and would be willing to fight alongside them."

"I'll talk with my warriors and make sure that any I send to your camps are willing to accept the foxes." Firestar promised.

"I can agree to that." Mistystar voiced her opinion.

"How do we know which cats we can trust?" Onestar asked, looking down at the cats assembled below them.

"Until the time of the battle, we should assume that everyone in our clans are loyal. The true traitors will reveal themselves then." Dovewing of Thunderclan stood to respond.

"But what if they tell our plans to their Dark Forest allies?" Blackstar frowned.

"I guess you'll just have to *trust* your clanmates." Snaketail said, sounding annoyed.

"She's right." Firestar agreed. "We have to trust that enough clan cats will remain loyal to make our plans work. Battle patrols must focus on protecting the camps of each clan. Each camp must be defended by warriors from all six clans. We must keep our kits and elders safe."

Onestar flexed his claws. "Once the camps are secure, then we must draw the attackers away."

"We'll need messengers." Blackstar commented. "To share news or offer reinforcements."

"The swiftest two cats from each clan will be messengers." Firestar decided.

"They must swear not to be drawn into battle. They must only carry news. I don't want a camp lost because help doesn't arrive in time."

Blackstar nodded. "Agreed."

"Good." Firestar said, looking past the clan cats to stare into the distance. "Let's go home. Prepare for battle. It will strike everywhere at once, but remember that we are fighting together. Not alone."

Firestar jumped down from the tree to rejoin his clanmates. Mistystar slithered down next, followed by Onestar. Darkstar leaped to the ground next and Silverstar and Blackstar landed at the base of the tree simultaneously.

Fireclan left the island first with Riverclan swimming across the channel close behind. Silverstar had to wait for Thunderclan to finish crossing the fallen log before she could lead her clanmates home.

"Are you okay?" Wolffang asked as soon as Silverstar entered camp.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"You were gone for a long time."

"It was a Gathering. They generally take a while. Anyway, I'm tired. I'm going to my nest." Silverstar passed him to join her kits in the nursery. Snowlion was a soft, white mound in her nest, hiding her young kittens quite effectively. Silverstar's kittens were piled on top of each other in her usual nest. She laid carefully around them to prevent waking them up and soon joined them in sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

When Silverstar woke up, Snowlion's nest was empty and Ryekit was just following his siblings outside.

"Where are you going?" Silverstar asked around a yawn.

"Snowlion said we could play out in the camp." Ryekit answered. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah." Silverstar stood and stretched. "Yeah, that's fine." Silverstar joined him at the den exit and let him leave before her. The majority of her litter was already playing with Quailkit and Owlkit. Gingerkit was sitting to the side, talking with Kestrelkit. Tigerkit was watching Snowlion and Snaketail speak from a distance.

"Lavenderpaw!" Silverstar called as the young gray she-cat returned to camp, holding a shrew. She set it on the prey pile and came to stand near Silverstar.

"What'd you need?"

"Have any patrols gone out yet?"

"No. Shiningheart said you'd want to talk to us. She said to only hunt in the area close to camp."

"Okay, good." Silverstar jumped up onto the stone-pile. "Let all members of Winterclan gather beneath the stone-pile for a clan meeting!"

Spruceheart, Tornadoclaw, and Moonleap came into the camp from outside as the rest of their clanmates left their dens.

"I expect many of you heard from your clanmates that all the clans are preparing for battle from the Dark Forest. For this reason, each clan will be sending two or three cats to our camp and we'll be sending one warrior to each of theirs. Tornadoclaw, I want you to go to Windclan. Pebblefur can go to Shadowclan. Wolffang will go to Thunderclan, Eaglewing to Riverclan, and Moonleap to Fireclan. Every clan will also choose two of their cats to act as messengers. Lavenderpaw and Meadowpaw, I'd like you to be our form of communication to the other clans. You'll have to be careful to not get drawn into any fights. It's up to the messengers from each clan to know where reinforcements are needed and make sure that those reinforcements are sent."

Lavenderpaw and her sister nodded solemnly to show that they understood.

"Now then, the five cats I listed should go right away to the clans I assigned." Silverstar instructed. Tornadoclaw and Wolffang set out together and Pebblefur, Eaglewing, and Moonleap left camp together.

The Windclan cats found Winterclan's camp soon after and Nightcloud led the other two cats to speak with Silverstar.

"Did Tornadoclaw find your camp okay?" Silverstar asked.

"I believe so. We passed her on our way out and gave her directions."

"Thank you."

"It was no trouble. Oh, and I wanted to introduce you to my son: Breezepelt." Nightcloud waved her tail at the slender black tomcat standing at her right.

"We've met before." Breezepelt said absently, barely giving Silverstar a glance before continuing to examine the camp

"When was that?" Nightcloud asked curiously.

"I came across him along the border a while back while looking for my kits."

The arrival of the Riverclan patrol cut their conversation short and Duskmist and Sandpelt of Fireclan came in a little later. Duskmist nodded at Silverstar in greeting before going to speak to Frostpelt. Sandpelt waved his tail at Silverstar but sat back to let the less familiar cats talk to her.

Nightcloud quickly introduced the last cat in her patrol; Thistletail, before stepping back so Silverstar could address the Riverclan warriors.

"Silverstar." The white she-cat greeted her respectfully. "I am Icewing. My clanmate is Rushtail." Icewing used her tail to gesture to the light brown tabby she-cat standing beside her. "Mistystar expected to send Beetlewhisker with us but he was murdered last night in his nest. We suspect he was training in the Dark Forest and made a wrong move."

"I'm so sorry for your loss!" Silverstar exclaimed. Icewing dipped her head in acknowledgement, a flash of pain dulling her eyes for a moment.

"Thank you for your condolences. If you have anything you need our help with, just tell us what we can do."

"Well, Shiningheart is setting up patrols. You could join one of them." Silverstar welcomed them, flicking an ear in Shiningheart's direction.

"Thank you. We'll do that." The Shadowclan patrol followed three Thunderclan cats in as Icewing led Rushtail to the group standing around Shiningheart. Silverstar, bored of being the one approached, stood and walked over to the two newer patrols to welcome them.

"Welcome to our camp." She greeted them.

"Thank you." The golden-brown Thunderclan tom responded. "My name's Brackenfur. This is Foxleap-" He gestured to the ginger tabby tom. "And Mousewhisker." Mousewhisker was a small gray and white tomcat.

"I'm Starlingwing." The ginger Shadowclan tabby added. "My clanmates are Dawnpelt and Toadfoot." Dawnpelt was the cream-furred she-cat who had been hanging around the medicine cats last night and Toadfoot was a dark brown tom.

"It's nice to meet all of you. If you want to join a patrol, Shiningheart is setting them up now." Silverstar led them over to the dark tabby as she spoke.

"I need another cat to join Spruceheart and Dawnpelt in battle training." Shiningheart told them as they neared her.

"I'd like to train." Brackenfur volunteered

"It would be a good idea for all of us to train together. To know as much as our enemies do." Toadfoot commented.

"Everyone will get a turn in the training area within the next couple days. I planned on having two training groups each day. Today Spruceheart and I will each be leading one."

"Do your elders often join the patrols?" Rushtail questioned.

"As long as we remain able, I don't see why we wouldn't." Spruceheart answered in his quiet voice.

"I suppose that makes sense." Mousewhisker said doubtfully. Foxleap leaned over to whisper something in his ear and Mousewhisker nodded. "Oh, that actually does make sense." The gray and white tom responded, looking somewhat embarrassed.

"Silverstar, will you lead a hunting party?" Shiningheart asked her.

"Sure." Silverstar agreed

"I'll go with her." Nightcloud volunteered.

"So'll I." Rushtail decided.

"Okay. Thank you. Frostpelt, please bring some cats to check for more Dark Forest scents."

Silverstar brought Nightcloud and Rushtail away from camp toward her favorite hunting spot in the swampland near the Riverclan border. Nightcloud made a good attempt at hunting on the soft, wet ground but by the time the sun set Rushtail held distinctly more than either of the other two.

Nightcloud had managed to catch a water vole; Silverstar had two frogs and a starling; and Rushtail had a good-sized fish, three mice, a sparrow, and a lizard.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Silverstar woke a couple days later feeling like her den was too crowded but she was still too tired to open her eyes. Instead she listened to see if there was another cat breathing. Instead she heard hushed murmuring. Straining her ears, Silverstar was able to make out the words.

"They don't know how real love feels. My love is true, that's a matter of fact. And you love me too. It's as simple as that." Snowlion's voice whispered. A tomcat said something in a voice too low for Silverstar to make out.

"They may say some awful things, my love-" Snowlion was cut off.

"But there's no point in listening." The tom interrupted. "I know. Your words are the only ones I believe in anymore."

'That's not Eaglewing.' Silverstar realized, her eyes opening easily now. Breezepelt was crouched over Snowlion, his muzzle close to her head.

"What are you doing in here?" Silverstar asked the Windclan tom.

"Well, Onestar said that three of us needed to go to each clan's camp and Nightcloud wanted me to come here with her." Breezepelt said sardonically.

"I didn't mean here in the camp." Silverstar clarified. "What are you doing in our nursery?"

"I wanted him to meet my kits." Snowlion said coldly. "We're friends."

"More than that, by the sound of it." Silverstar growled back, standing.

"What business is that of yours, _human_?" Snowlion hissed, also claiming her paws and bristling furiously.

"You already have a mate and kits!"

"You humans, with your pathetic attempts at monogomity." Snowlion sneered. "You _still_ don't understand life as a cat, do you? I enjoy being a mother, raising kittens. And Breezepelt will be a much better father to my young than Eaglewing ever could be."

"And what makes Eaglewing such a terrible father? Is it just because of where he came from?"

"No. It's because he's weak. He can't fight properly, he barely knows how to hunt, he sympathizes with his enemies."

"It's not such a bad thing to sympathize with your enemies."

"Hah! He'll give in to that weakness when the moment comes to strike and he'll get himself injured or killed for it. I'll not have him endangering my kits by teaching them that softness."

"Regardless, Breezepelt is a Windclan cat. It's against the warrior code for cats of different clans to be mates or raise kits."

"And who made up those rules that you all follow like fools? I wonder, did you ever care to think it through?"

"That rule is to prevent disloyalty to your clanmates in battle."

"That's no problem to me." Breezepelt spoke up, brushing his fur against Snowlion's. "Those cats have given me no reason to feel loyalty to them." His voice was thick with bitterness.

"What about Nightcloud?" Silverstar challenged.

"What about her?" Breezepelt asked, his voice flat.

"She clearly loves you!"

"So does Snowlion. And I love her."

Sandpelt poked his head into the nursery and recoiled, nearly left the den completely, at the sight of Silverstar facing off against Snowlion and Breezepelt.

"What's going on?" Sandpelt asked.

"It's nothing." Silverstar insisted, her voice still angry. "What'd you need?"

"Um, Dustpaw came and took Duskmist back to the Fireclan camp. Apparently Wildear's giving birth."

"Thank you for telling me. Has Shiningheart begun sending out patrols yet?"

"Yeah. She wanted you to be in a training group with Mousewhisker and Starlingwing this morning so that you could spend the evening with your kits."

"Who's in the evening training group?"

"Snowlion, Nightcloud, and Duskmist."

Silverstar hesitated. She wanted to move her litter into the leader's den so that she wouldn't have to share a den with Snowlion but she couldn't insist that Snowlion leave her kits to train if she wouldn't do it herself.

"Alright. Tell Mousewhisker and Starlingwing that I'll join them soon."

"'Kay." Sandpelt agreed, gratefully retreating from the tense air in the nursery.

"My kits will be joining me in the leader's den." Silverstar informed Snowlion. "You'll have the nursery to yourself until a new queen needs it." Snowlion inclined her head in acknowledgement and watched as Silverstar nudged her kits to their feet. Silverstar quickly herded them to the other den and sat them down so she could talk to them.

"We'll all be sleeping in here each night until you get your apprentice names."

"Why?" Gingerkit challenged. "You and Snowlion argued but we've got no problem with Kestrelkit or her brothers. So why do _we_ have to stay in this drafty old cave instead of our normal nest?" Silverstar blinked at the fierce young she-kit.

"If you wanted to stay in there, I suppose you could. But I intend on sleeping in here and you can join me whenever you'd like." Silverstar decided. Gingerkit turned and left without answering.

"I'll stay with you, Mom." Ryekit promised.

"Thank you, Ryekit." Silverstar ruffled the fur on top of his head as she leaned down to brush him with her nose.

"I'm actually going to keep Gingerkit company. I think she'll get lonely. This is the first time she's not shared a nest with all of us." Amberkit explained.

"That's very considerate of you Amberkit."

"I'm also going with them." Tigerkit added.

"Take care of your sisters, my little medicine cat." Tigerkit purred with pride at Silverstar's words before he and Amberkit went back to the nursery.

"I'm going to stay in here." Rowankit stated. Dovekit nodded in agreement.

"_Please_, stay in camp. There are dangerous cats exploring our territory and I am going to be busy preparing our allies for battle. I won't be able to keep an eye on you so I need to know that you'll stay where it's safe." Silverstar begged the three kittens.

"We could help fight." Rowankit offered.

"No! These cats are vicious. They wouldn't think twice about killing kits. When the time comes to fight, you'll all need to hide until someone you recognize and know you can trust tells you that it's safe."

"We'll do our best to stay safe." Dovekit promised in her sweet voice. Ryekit and Rowankit nodded in solemn agreement.

"Thank you, my loves. Now, I need to go train. You can wander around camp but don't get in anyones way and don't leave camp."

All three of them nodded again and Silverstar turned and left. She hurried to the camp entrance where Mousewhisker and Starlingwing were waiting.

"Sorry that took so long. I needed to talk with my kits."

"We saw." Starlingwing said. Mousewhisker shot him a sharp look and Starlingwing shut his mouth.

"That's fine." Mousewhisker said. "Shall we go?"

Silverstar nodded and led them out to the place where the Windclan border met the lake's edge; her preferred place to train. Silverstar stepped forward first to show them an attack she had helped work out with Tornadoclaw and Wolffang. After watching her perform it a couple times, Mousewhisker and Starlingwing practiced it, first individually and then against each other. After they got it figured out, Mousewhisker stepped forward to show a Thunderclan attack. After Silverstar and Starlingwing had practiced Mousewhisker's move a few times, Starlingwing stepped forward for his turn. The three of them continued practicing until the sun was high in the sky, then they returned to camp.

Silverstar was glad to see that a hunting patrol had already returned and took no time in picking out a plump shrew and a mouse for her kits to share. She carried both prey pieces to the nursery, intending on collecting the three kits of hers in there first but when she looked in she saw that Gingerkit, Tigerkit, and Amberkit were finishing a rabbit with Snowlion, Breezepelt, Quailkit, Owlkit, and Kestrelkit.

Tigerkit looked up when Silverstar came in and licked his whiskers guiltily. Gingerkit ignored her completely and Amberkit looked up to mew "hi" before continuing her meal.

"Did you need something, Silverstar?" Snowlion asked, grooming her paws.

"I just wanted to see if my kittens were hungry but I see they've eaten." Silverstar responded, setting her prey next to her paw so she could speak.

"Ah, okay. Last I saw, Rowankit, Ryekit, and Dovekit were talking to Spruceheart next to the elder's den."

"Thank you." Silverstar said before picking the prey up again and leaving. She went to the elder's den and was relieved to hear Rowankit and Dovekit talking. Entering, she saw that all three of them were working together to clear away stale moss and spread fresh, soft moss.

"This is a nice surprise." She said happily, setting the mouse and shrew next the the den entrance.

"We got bored and Spruceheart said we could help out by doing this." Ryekit explained.

"Did you invite your siblings to help?" Silverstar asked.

"They were playing with Quailkit and his siblings." Rowankit responded, tucking a bit of moss firmly into place. "So, is that Windclan cat going to be Snowlion's new mate?"

"If she gets her way, yes. But it's against the warrior code and no clan cat will willingly accept it. Why don't you invite the other kits to help out now? They just finished eating and they could give you a break so that you can have your share of food."

"I'll ask them." Dovekit volunteered, passing Silverstar to go to the nursery.

"I'll leave the shrew here for the three of you to share." Silverstar told the two young toms.

"Thanks Mom." Ryekit purred.

"I love you, my dears. I'll be out in the camp if you need me." Ryekit and Rowankit nodded and Silverstar took the mouse and left.

She settled in front of her den to eat her meal and watched as patrols came and left. Silverstar stood when she saw Willowshine, the Riverclan medicine cat, come in and look around. Willowshine saw Silverstar and hurried over to her.

"Where's Snaketail?" Willowshine asked.

"I'm not sure but we can check her den." Silverstar led the dark gray tabby she-cat over to the hollow tree where Snaketail usually hung out and found her sleeping inside, shaded from the sun by the tall sides.

"Snaketail?" Silverstar asked, laying a paw on Snaketail's shoulder. "Snaketail, wake up!"

Snaketail woke with a startled hiss and swiped a paw at Silverstar.

"Sorry." Snaketail apologized, climbing to her paws and shaking the sleep away. "What's up?"

"We're all meeting at the Moonpool." Willowshine explained. "Jayfeather, Flametail, and Spottedleaf visited the rest of us in our dreams and Jayfeather called us to meet at the Moonpool today."

"Thank you for getting me." Snaketail said, walking beside Willowshine to the camp entrance. "I should be back later tonight or early tomorrow morning." Snaketail told Silverstar before the two gray tabbies left.

They had walked in silence halfway through Windclan's territory before Willowshine spoke up.

"So, why didn't you join us in Starclan's territory last night?" She asked.

"I was busy." Snaketail avoided explaining.

"What do you know about Mothwing?" Willowshine questioned.

"Only rumors." Snaketail dodged. "I've not spoken with her much."

"What sort of rumors?" Snaketail licked her lips slowly to give herself more time to think.

"I've heard that she's the daughter of Tigerstar and a rogue. I've heard that she used to have a brother but he was found dead on Thunderclan territory." Snaketail cast around for other things she could reasonably have heard from cats from other clans. "I heard that Mistystar almost made her retire but changed her mind, though no cat seems to know why. Why do you ask?"

"It's just, it's not impossible for a clan cat to not believe in Starclan. Cloudtail of Thunderclan doesn't."

"That's not the reason I didn't come." Snaketail said. 'She trusted me with a sort-of secret. I suppose it's only fair to trust her with one.' "I wasn't there because I was training with the Dark Forest."

"What?!" Willowshine asked. She stopped and bristled her fur nervously.

"I decided that any extra training would be helpful. I saw no reason to stop when I found out their plans. I figured I'd continue to train with them until the day of the battle and then use the attacks I learned to better defend my clanmates."

"How does anyone know that you'll actually fight on our side?" Willowshine challenged.

"I guess you'll just have to trust me." Snaketail said coolly. "My clanmates already know that I'm training in the Dark Forest and they still trust me."

Willowshine's tail flicked back and forth uncertainly but her fur flattened.

"I'll not betray the cats I love." Snaketail promised. "Now then, let's go catch up with the other medicine cats before they decide we're not coming." Willowshine nodded and the two of them ran the rest of the way to the Moonpool.

As they scrabbled to a stop at the top of the hollow, a stone clattered down and an angry yowl responded.

"Watch out!"

"Sorry!" Willowshine called out as she and Snaketail picked their way down the spiral path to the pool itself.

"Willowshine, is that you?" Jayfeather asked.

"Snaketail too." Willowshine responded. "Mothwing sends good wishes."

"Why didn't you wait for us by the stream?" Kestrelflight asked.

"I wasn't sure you'd come." Jayfeather shifted his paws.

"We told you we would be here." Littlecloud said, walking stiffly down the path.

"I've had to leave a camp full of sneezing warriors." Kestrelflight complained, his fur fluffed out. "The first cold of leaf-bare has brought sickness."

"Anything serious?" Littlecloud asked.

"Nothing more than runny noses and a cough or two." Kestrelflight said with obvious relief. "I've left Whitetail in charge of the herb store. She knows how to treat a sore throat."

"Perhaps it's time you took on an apprentice?" Willowshine suggested.

"Kestrelflight won't need an apprentice if the Dark Forest destroys us!" Jayfeather cut her off.

"Awfully dramatic." Nightshade noted, shaking the cold out of her pelt.

"I believe we can defeat them." Snaketail said in agreement with Nightshade.

"How will we know which clanmates to trust to fight on our side?" Willowshine asked. Snaketail's tail twitched angrily and she opened her mouth to speak but Nightshade pressed her side against her former mentor's to calm her. Snaketail was still irritated at Willowshine but she closed her mouth to let the younger cat speak.

"The only way we can know is by seeing which cats choose to fight alongside their living clanmates when the time comes. Not every cat who's training in the Place of No Stars will betray their clan." Nightshade said calmly.

"I do want to pass a request though." Snaketail said, successfully keeping her voice peaceful. "If anyone gets the chance, kill Brokenstar. He has threatened a punishment worse than death to those of us who betray the Dark Forest. With him gone, your clanmates who have been training with us will feel more confident about fighting on your side."

"Starclan will protect and guide us." Willowshine shifted her paws as she spoke.

"Starclan is divided." Kestrelflight reminded her.

Jayfeather curled his claws into the stone. "They're more scared than we are," he murmured.

"How can we fight the Dark Forest alone?" Willowshine asked, her breath quickening.

"Flametail united us." Jayfeather declared. "Now I will unite Starclan."

"How?" Littlecloud asked with a sharp flick of his tail tip.

"I'll let them see the danger for themselves!" Jayfeather turned and touched his nose tip to the Moonpool. The rest of the cats followed his example, drifting quickly to sleep.

Snaketail opened her eyes to see that they were all on a grassy hilltop, dark clouds skimming overhead.

"Where's the sun gone?" Willowshine asked, looking around.

"Now what?" Littlecloud asked.

"Each of you must go to your own ancestors and bring them here."

Willowshine, Kestrelflight, and Littlecloud each looked to the territories most similar to their own while Snaketail traded a glance with Nightshade.

"Can you do it?" Jayfeather asked, turning to locate the Thunderclan-like area.

"I'll bring every cat I can find." Littlecloud promised, walking away. Kestrelflight broke into a run in the direction of the moors. Jayfeather turned around to face the three cats who were hanging behind.

"Will the Dark Forest warriors come here, too?" Willowshine asked, her tail swishing nervously.

"We won't let them." Jayfeather flattened his ears.

Willowshine flashed him an anxious look and began to trot down to the river.

"What should we do?" Nightshade asked. "We have no ancestors yet, thankfully."

"Find any cats you can. Bring them here." Jayfeather instructed. Nightshade and Snaketail both nodded before Jayfeather began running toward the oak forest.

Nightshade bid Snaketail goodbye and started walking in a direction between Littlecloud and Willowshine. Not sure where to go, Snaketail set off uncertainly in the opposite direction that Nightshade took.

The first cat Snaketail found was a dark mottled gray and brown tomcat.

"This is Windclan territory." He told her, watching her to see what she'd do.

"I need to find as many cats as I can." Snaketail explained. "We're trying to reunite Starclan."

The tom tilted his head to the side as he thought over her words.

"My name's Hawkheart. I'll find everyone I can and meet you here. I suppose that you refer to the living medicine cats when you say 'we'?"

"Yeah." Snaketail said.

"Alright. See you here." Hawkheart ran off with the speed common of Windclan cats. Snaketail watched him leave before running in the direction she chose.

By the time Snaketail returned to the place she found Hawkheart, she had a handful of warriors following her and a few kittens and apprentices. Hawkheart had a crowd of Windclan warriors milling around him when Snaketail returned. She ran past him and he joined her, his group enveloping hers.

When they arrived back at the hilltop, a crowd three times the size of Hawkheart's was already there. Kestrelflight lifted his tail to greet Snaketail before returning to his conversation with Willowshine. Littlecloud sat nearby talking to a ginger Starclan tomcat. Snaketail looked around for Nightshade and Jayfeather but couldn't find either of them.

Jayfeather led a tail of Thunderclan cats into the group before Nightshade arrived and waited quietly for her to come. She came soon after, flanked by a gray and white tom and a long-furred, pale gray she-cat. Jayfeather nodded at the young medicine cat and stood up.

"Starclan! Listen!" He yowled.

"Why?" Yellowfang yowled in response. "We have the wisdom of ages. You have the stupidity of youth!"

"You can leave if you want to!" A bright ginger tom hissed. Yellowfang flattened her ears but didn't respond.

"You must listen to me!" Jayfeather called. "Yellowfang's right. I'm younger than any of you." He paused as a pale gray and white she-kit stepped forward and corrected himself. "Younger than most of you. There is a terrible threat to you all! And to the clans you once lived in. You know the Dark Forest is rising. You can see it in the dead leaves that litter your hunting ground, and the clouds that block out your sun." He lifted his gaze to the gray, clouded sky. "You must face the truth. And the truth is worse than you ever imagined. The Dark Forest must be met and fought. You will not win by huddling together like families of mice. You must stand together or fall divided!"

"But how can we beat an enemy that can bring leaf-bare to Starclan?" A ragged dark brown tabby tom called.

"They have grown stronger than us." A black Shadowclan she-cat added.

"When we sent you the Prophecy of the Three, we didn't know the Dark Forest would grow so powerful." The ginger tom who scolded Yellowfang padded forward to speak again.

"But now they are _Four_!" Bluestar insisted. "The Ancients gave them an ally to make them strong enough to fight any enemy."

Jayfeather ruffled his pelt. "We don't know who it is yet."

"Isn't it obvious?" Bluestar asked, tipping her head to the side. "You are not the first cats guided by a prophecy. I was promised long ago that fire would save the clan. It has never needed saving as much as it does now." She nodded at Jayfeather. "Get him." She said softly. "He needs to know what is happening."

Jayfeather immediately turned and darted away. His form faded and vanished as he reached the bottom of the hill.

"Now we wait for them." Bluestar stated, sitting down and gazing in the direction Jayfeather ran. Snaketail had time enough to groom one paw before Jayfeather appeared with Firestar beside him.

"You must follow me once more," Jayfeather yowled. "You need to see for yourselves." He waved his tail and led the assembly down the slope into the Place of No Stars. Snaketail's fur lifted in discomfort as she heard faded yowls and screams.

"How can any warrior live in such darkness?" Hawkheart muttered.

"It smells foul."

"Look." Jayfeather instructed with a twitch of his whiskers.

Snaketail obeyed and saw Mapleshade training with Brokenstar and two cats she didn't recognize. Scared that she'd be seen, Snaketail slipped between the Starclan cats until she was thoroughly hidden.

"Where's the sun?" A kitten whimpered.

"Hush, little one!"

Snaketail sighed in relief as Jayfeather led the Starclan cats back to their territory.

"We're back!" The pale kitten from before exclaimed as she scampered onto the grassy slope. "Why did you take us to see those horrible cats?" She asked Jayfeather.

"We have to know our enemy." Bluestar said, brushing the kit's head with her muzzle.

"Now that you have seen them, have heard what they are threatening our clans with, are you afraid to fight?"

"Never!" The dark brown tabby tom bristled.

"But will you fight together?" Jayfeather questioned.

"We can't fight such cruelty while we're divided." Bluestar swished her tail.

"How will we know who to trust?" Yellowfang stepped forward to ask.

"You can trust me." Firestar told her. "And one another."

"How could such horror have thrived?" The ragged tabby growled. "We should have been able to crush it before it grew so strong. After all, we have the power of the stars in our paws."

"No." Jayfeather disagreed steadily. "That is my destiny. Mine and Firestar's."

Firestar nodded. "I am the fourth cat. The prophecy has come true."

Snaketail blinked and found herself waking next to the Moonpool with the rest of the medicine cats.

"Starclan is united." Jayfeather stated. "Now we must return to our camps and prepare for battle."

(There is a Facebook page for this story at pages/One-Step-Further-A-Warriors-Fanfiction/669456403118130?ref=hl )


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Silverstar woke sharply as Rowankit stepped heavily on her ear.

"What are you doing?" She asked sleepily before opening her eyes. When she did she saw Snowlion leaning into her den and Ryekit's tail leaving. "What's going on?" She asked Snowlion more sharply.

"The Dark Forest cats are coming. We need to bring the kittens somewhere safe." Snowlion answered

"They're safest in camp where we can protect them." Silverstar disagreed.

"They're not safe here." Snaketail said from outside the den. Silverstar followed Snowlion and the kits out and was less than surprised to see Breezepelt there also. "Mapleshade suggested attacking at the heart of each clan by going for the kittens. There will be cats specifically searching for the youngest cats."

"Then where do you suggest bringing them?" Silverstar asked.

"There are some kittypets living in the horseplace." Breezepelt informed her. "It's not a perfect plan but the Dark Forest warriors won't look there."

"And Smoky and Floss promised that they'd protect them for a night or two." Snaketail added. "I talked to them about it yesterday."

"How do we know that we can trust these strangers? I don't trust people I don't know."

"Which is why Cliffpaw and Ravenpaw will be staying with them." Snowlion answered.

"I thought that was my decision to make." Silverstar said drily.

"That's why we came to you!" Snowlion hissed irritably. "So do you agree or do you have some better idea?"

"I don't." Silverstar reluctantly agreed. "Breezepelt, fetch Ravenpaw and Cliffpaw." The black tom nodded and ran to the apprentice's den. He returned soon after with the requested apprentices behind him.

"What's up?" Ravenpaw asked.

"We're bringing the kittens somewhere safe." Silverstar explained. "I want the two of you to watch over them." Cliffpaw looked over the kits and nodded.

"Where?" Ravenpaw asked.

"You'll see when we get there." Snowlion said, kneading her paws impatiently. "We don't have time to explain again."

"Go on ahead." Silverstar instructed. "I'll catch up after I've spoken to Shiningheart."

Snaketail nodded and picked up Owlkit before following Snowlion and Quailkit away from camp. Breezepelt picked up Kestrelkit, Ravenpaw walked alongside Dovekit, and Cliffpaw traveled behind Amberkit. Rowankit, Gingerkit, Ryekit, and Tigerkit stayed between the older cats.

"Shiningheart?" Silverstar asked, poking her head into the warriors den. The dark brown she-cat lifted her head in response. "The battle is tonight. Prepare the clan. Snaketail, Breezepelt, Snowlion, and I will be back soon. We're taking the kits somewhere safe."

"Take care." Shiningheart bid her, standing up to wake the rest of the cats. Silverstar nodded and ran to catch up with Snowlion's patrol.

Snaketail smiled tensely to welcome Silverstar when she reached them but didn't set Owlkit down to speak. Instead, Silverstar picked Ryekit up and walked beside Cliffpaw. They quickly found the entrance to the horseplace barn and Snaketail set Owlkit at Snowlion's paws to enter through a narrow gap at the bottom of the wooden door.

"Smoky?" Snaketail called. "Floss?"

"Is that you, Snaketail?" A muscular gray and white tomcat asked, stepping out into the light.

"Yeah."

"Has the time come to hide the kittens?" A small gray and white she-cat inquired as she joined the tomcat.

"Yes. Our enemies are coming tonight." Snaketail answered. "Come on, you should meet the kits and their mothers." Smoky and Floss followed Snaketail back outside to where the rest of the clan cats were waiting.

"Silverstar, Snowlion. This is Smoky," Snaketail flicked her ear towards the tom. "And this is Floss." The she-cat nodded in greeting. Snaketail turned to face the horseplace cats. "This is my leader Silverstar, and her kits: Gingerkit, Rowankit, Ryekit, Amberkit, Dovekit, and Tigerkit. My best friend Snowlion and her kits: Kestrelkit, Owlkit, and Quailkit. Snowlion's friend, Breezepelt. And two of our apprentices; Ravenpaw and Cliffpaw." Snaketail waved her tail to each cat as she named them.

"It's nice to meet all of you." Floss greeted them. "Please, come in."

Smoky went back into the barn and Snaketail led her clanmates after him with Floss following behind.

The inside of the barn was very dark but after Silverstar's eyes adjusted she could see stacks of hay and straw piled on the far wall.

"The Nofurs usually bring us food around sunset but there are mice if you can catch them." Smoky offered.

"I don't like the idea of twolegs being so close to such young kittens." Breezepelt muttered to Snowlion.

"Where can the kits hide?" Snowlion asked the horseplace cats.

"There are spaces between the bales of hay that the Nofurs can't see into." Floss answered.

"Do you mind if they explore?" Snaketail asked.

"No, that's fine." Smoky responded. Amberkit and Quailkit immediately ran off to poke their noses into whatever they could find. Ryekit ran to follow his sister. Gingerkit and Kestrelkit went to explore the gaps between the hay bales and Rowankit, Dovekit, and Owlkit tried climbing to the top of the pile. Tigerkit looked up at Snaketail.

"Can't I stay and help you heal?"

"I'm afraid it's too dangerous. You're still young and untrained. We can't risk you getting hurt in a battle this early." Snaketail explained.

"But if I get hurt, you can heal me."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence but our enemies plan on fighting to the kill. We can't risk that for any kit." Terror lingered behind Tigerkit's eyes as he looked up at the older clan cats.

"Promise you'll come back for us?" He asked, looking from Snaketail to Silverstar and back again.

"I promise." Silverstar said, wrapping her tail around the young tom.

"We _will_ come back." Snaketail agreed.

"Hey Snowlion! Breezepelt!" Kestrelkit called from where she and Gingerkit had joined Rowankit, Owlkit, and Dovekit on top of the mound of straw. "You two have to come back for us also." She ordered. Snowlion purred a laugh at her daughter.

"We'll do our best." The white-furred queen promised.

"So why are we here?" Ravenpaw asked Silverstar quietly.

"I need the two of you to make sure the kittens stay safe and fed. None of them have learned how to hunt yet and they'll need food." Silverstar answered in an equally soft voice. Ravenpaw looked into Silverstar's eyes with the same steady look that Tornadoclaw had used once before.

"You would only need one of us for that."

"I don't actually know these cats." Silverstar said, still quieter as Snaketail and Snowlion talked to the horseplace cats. "I need to know that my kittens are safe while I'm fighting and I can't do that if they only have strangers to watch over them."

The black she-cat nodded. "They'll be safe." She promised.

"Thank you." Silverstar said with feeling before turning to address the warriors. "It's time we went back to camp. We need to help the clan prepare." Snowlion and Snaketail bid farewell to Smoky and Floss and the kits came rushing back to say goodbye so it was several minutes before Silverstar was able to lead Snaketail, Breezepelt, and Snowlion outside.

The four of them skirted around the horse's enclosure and ran back to camp as the sun reached its peak.

"There you are." Shiningheart said as they entered camp. "Welcome back. Half of the warriors from the other clans are gone but no one seems to know where. I sent Meadowpaw to Riverclan for reinforcements but Windclan also needed help so I let Thistletail and Nightcloud return to their camp."

"Do you want to return to Windclan to help them?" Silverstar asked Breezepelt. Snowlion pressed her side against his and he looked at her. She very slightly inclined her head forward and he nodded.

"Yeah, I will. Thank you." Breezepelt answered before turning and leaving camp.

"Brackenfur and Sandpelt are out hunting." Shiningheart continued her report. "Toadfoot and the elders are training nearby. And Lavenderpaw's in her den."

"Okay. If you want to go hunting or join the training, you can." Silverstar offered. "Snaketail, Snowlion, and I will stick around camp for a while."

"Thank you." Shiningheart stood and stretched out her front paws. "I'll join Brackenfur and Sandpelt." She pushed past the bracken fern that hid the camp entrance and left.

"I should see what I have." Snaketail thought aloud as she went for her den. Snowlion took a step toward the nursery before stopping and going to the apprentice's den so Silverstar was the only one in camp when Meadowpaw returned alone.

"Riverclan couldn't spare anyone." Meadowpaw informed Silverstar. "They're in as bad a position as we are. I told Mistystar to keep Eaglewing there. They need him more than we do."

"Okay." Silverstar said. She was a little bothered that Meadowpaw left Eaglewing at the Riverclan camp but she understood Meadowpaw's reasoning. "We'll just have to manage on our own. We can do this."

Meadowpaw gave Silverstar a disbelieving look but didn't argue. "I'm going to train with Snowlion and Lavenderpaw." She nodded to where the two cats were sparring in front of the apprentice's den before joining them. Silverstar watched the three of them train for a while before walking over to Snaketail.

"Do you need any help?" Silverstar asked. Snaketail was sitting in front of the medicine den, surrounded by piles of plants

"Um, sure. I'm making packets of herbs that can help heals battle wounds. I put two goldenrod leaves, three goldenrod flowers, three yarrow leaves, about a quarter of a dried oak leaf, a piece of inner willow bark, and one of these inside a dock leaf." Snaketail tapped a paw next to each pile of plants as she named it. The second to last pile she indicated seemed to be made up of green oak leaves wrapped up neatly around something.

"What are these?" Silverstar asked.

"Cobwebs. I'm probably going to need more. I wrapped up all I had."

"I'll send Lavenderpaw to get more when some of the other cats return to camp."

"Okay. More moss wouldn't go amiss either."

"I'll tell her to grab some of that also." Silverstar promised. The two of them made healing packets for quite a while before Toadfoot returned with the elders. Silverstar looked at Snaketail as she stood up but Snaketail was focused completely on her task.

Brackenfur returned to camp with a mouthful of prey while Silverstar was crossing the camp to talk to the apprentices.

"Lavenderpaw, Meadowpaw, would you two mind fetching supplies for Snaketail?"

"What does she need?" Lavenderpaw asked. She and her sister stopped their sparring to look at Silverstar. Their eyes were bright with excitement at the exercise.

"She needs more cobwebs and moss."

"'Kay. We'll be back before long." Meadowpaw promised. They raced each other out of camp, Meadowpaw getting ahead by leaping over the bracken fern.

"That's cheating!" Lavenderpaw yowled as she disappeared from sight. Silverstar looked up at the sun and was surprised by how close it was to the horizon.

"Toadfoot." Silverstar called, walking quickly over to the dark brown tom.

"Yes, Silverstar?" He asked, looking up from the shrew he was eating.

"You're the quickest cat still in camp. I need you to find Sandpelt and Shiningheart and bring them back to camp. If you happen to see Lavenderpaw and Meadowpaw, tell them to return home before the sun finishes setting."

Toadfoot nodded and ran from camp. Silverstar kneaded the ground anxiously before going back to help Snaketail some more.

Toadfoot returned to camp with Sandpelt and Shiningheart behind him just as the sun began to set. Shiningheart and Sandpelt set their prey on the fresh-kill pile but Shiningheart picked some of them back up to distribute to her clanmates.

"Did you see the apprentices while you were out?" Silverstar left Snaketail to ask Toadfoot.

"Yeah." He assured her. "They should be back in a moment."

"Thank you." Silverstar purred. "Go ahead and finish your meal." Toadfoot nodded and returned to his shrew. Shiningheart dropped a squirrel next to Silverstar but Silverstar ignored it in favor of watching for Lavenderpaw and her sister.

The two of them arrived when the moon was still large and fresh in the sky. Meadowpaw's jaws were crammed with moss and Lavenderpaw held a thick swab of spider webs on a leaf. Silverstar sighed and bounded over to greet them.

"You're back. Go ahead and bring those to Snaketail and find somewhere close by to hide. You need to be close enough to know if we need help but don't let the Dark Forest cats bring you into a fight." They both nodded and went over to the medicine den where Snaketail was putting her supplies away. She greeted the younger cats with a raised tail and a happy word before taking the moss and cobwebs away and slipping back into the hollow tree.

The apprentices each grabbed a prey-animal and went back to the camp exit. Lavenderpaw set her mouse down and ran back to Silverstar.

"We'll be hiding in the abandoned badger set behind camp." Lavenderpaw informed her.

"Thank you. I'll make sure our clanmates know it." Silverstar responded. Lavenderpaw nodded and rejoined her sister. After they'd left camp again, Silverstar gulped the squirrel down before going to talk to the other cats.

"They're here!" Sandpelt yowled, returning to camp through the path they used to reach their dirtplace. "The cats of the Dark Forest are here!" A light brown tabby she-cat pounced onto his back and bowled him over. Sandpelt hissed in surprise and turned on her.

Before anyone could reach Sandpelt to help him, a large group of cats exploded through the undergrowth from the direction the first Dark Forest cat came. Silverstar was slightly bewildered at how quickly the camp switched from patient quiet to this screaming mass. She shook her head to clear the confusion and leaped at the nearest cat, a dark brown tomcat with black speckles. He smacked her with the back of his paw and she launched herself at his belly. The tom exhaled in a huff and dug his claws into Silverstar's shoulders. Aggravated by the pain, Silverstar reared and bit deep into his shoulder at the base of his neck. The tom yowled and tried to escape. Silverstar released him and he fled but a different cat crashed into her side, sending her stumbling.

Silverstar turned to face her new attacker but she couldn't see anyone who might have attacked her. A claw caught her nose and Silverstar drew back. Focusing, Silverstar saw a shadowy outline where a cat could be before it lunged at her again. Silverstar dodged to her right and heard the outline land as he unintentionally kicked up fallen leaves and dirt. More leaves flew as he sprang again and Silverstar timed her attack perfectly to knock him off-course.

Feeling confident, Silverstar struck before he could attack her again but some other cat's claws pulled her away. Silverstar turned on the silver-gray she-cat but the faded ghost attacked her again before her claws met skin. Uncertain who to attack Silverstar retreated, one pawstep at a time, trying to keep an eye on them both.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

A dark tabby reared up behind the silver she-cat and brought her paws down heavily. The silver cat turned and fought Shiningheart which allowed Silverstar to focus her attacks on the transparent ghost-cat.

Silverstar drove the quasi-invisible cat backwards until he bumped into Foxleap.

"Maggottail." Foxleap spat, turning to attack. Silverstar left Foxleap to fight the other tom and turned to check on her clanmates.

'What is she doing out here!' Silverstar wondered as she saw Snaketail sneaking up on a white Dark Forest cat as he fought with Frostpelt. 'I told her to stay safe!'

Silverstar bounded around the fighting cats, trying to find a quick route to her medicine cat. Silverstar slipped around a knot of snarling warriors and saw Snaketail stand behind the enemy tom and say something. The tom spun around and smiled when he saw Snaketail there. Frostpelt took advantage of the tom's distraction by leaping at him. The tomcat slapped Frostpelt away and Snaketail landed on his shoulders. Sharp claws dug into Silverstar's shoulders and she turned to fight the scrawny black tom who had attacked her. He had small white speckles over his pelt.

Silverstar heard Frostpelt exclaim in pain and wanted to turn and check on the elder but her opponent didn't give her a moment's pause. Silverstar traded blows with the mostly black tom for a while before the tom decided to change tactics. He abruptly crouched and shot forward to dig his teeth into Silverstar's leg. Silverstar reared back, trying to dislodge him but he held fast. Angry and in pain, Silverstar reacted on instinct and bit deep into the back of her enemy's neck. Silverstar was acutely relieved to hear the other cat scream and she let him run away.

Silverstar twisted around to check on Frostpelt and Snaketail but couldn't see either of them. However, the white tomcat they'd been fighting seemed to be talking to a bush so he was probably blocking Silverstar's view of one of them.

Just before Silverstar could move closer and see who he was conversing with, Snaketail showed herself by leaping at him. Silverstar could see clearly that this was Snaketail but the cold, empty loathing in Snaketail's eyes was completely foreign.

A familiar, pained yowl reminded Silverstar that there were more enemies to fight so she jumped back into the fray. She swatted a golden-brown tabby she-cat off of Spruceheart so he could focus on the ginger and white tabby who had been worrying his flank. The golden she-cat stumbled into Dawnpelt who twisted as fast as a snake and sank her teeth into the tabby's neck.

The tabby fell down, bleeding profusely, and soon faded away. Dawnpelt shook the majority of the blood from her face and attacked a mottled brown tom. Silverstar swallowed heavily at Dawnpelt's willing kill but there wasn't time to dwell on it so she joined Shiningheart in fighting two cats that Silverstar had fought before; the silver-gray she-cat and the black tom with white spots.

Silverstar pounced onto the black tom's back and bit his ear and Shiningheart clawed at the she-cat's chest and neck. The she-cat snarled and lunged forward carelessly. As her jaws closed around Shiningheart's neck, Shiningheart's claws dug deep into her throat. They both fell and the Dark Forest she-cat faded from view.

The black tom reared and wrapped his paw around his chest to sink his claws into Silverstar's shoulder. With a powerful yank, he dragged her off his back and flung her to the ground. Silverstar rolled back to her paws just barely in time to meet his blow. She hissed in pain as he clawed her cheek and reacted by scratching his foreleg at the shoulder. He growled at her and lunged forward. Silverstar jumped back to prevent him biting her leg but he kept pressing forward and she once more found herself retreating.

A brown, pale ginger, and white she-cat joined the black tom in threatening her. Looking past them, Silverstar saw that there were at least twice as many Dark Forest cats as there were clan cats in the camp. She hated to admit defeat but Silverstar lifted her muzzle and yowled above the noise.

"Retreat!" She shouted before turning and running away from the enemies. She heard the two that she had been facing give chase and continued running, hoping intensely that her friends and allies had managed to escape also. Another set of paws joined the chase when Silverstar reached the fence at the horseplace. She tried turning to escape to the horseplace barn but a dark brown tabby with ice blue eyes intercepted her. He lunged at her with his jaws open and Silverstar spun to flee in the other direction. He joined the other three cats in chasing her.

Silverstar saw the fallen log that led to the Island ahead and began to head for it but a golden tabby tom and a thin silver she-cat drove Reedwhisker across before she reached it. Watching them herd Reedwhisker like that, Silverstar realized that her pursuers were pushing her to the Island also. Unwilling to go where the enemy wanted her, Silverstar leaped into the lake and began to swim toward a point on Windclan territory.

The brown tabby that had stopped her going to the barn jumped in behind her and swam quickly until he reached her.

"You think you can out-swim a Riverclan cat?" He asked. Silverstar realized then that this cat was none other than Brambleclaw's half-brother, Hawkfrost. Doubt prickled at her mind but Silverstar kept pushing forward, trying to escape him. Hawkfrost chuckled at her and swam forward, cutting in front of her. Silverstar scrabbled her paws in the water, trying to turn and get around him but Hawkfrost moved as smoothly as an otter and was in front of her again before she could go anywhere.

"Just give up." He suggested. Silverstar bared her teeth at him and struggled back toward the shore. She stopped about a fox-length away when she looked up and saw that the black tom and the brown, ginger, and white she-cat were waiting there with a tomcat who had long, thick, curly fur. Hawkfrost took his time swimming up beside her again.

"You've lost." He told her. "Admit it." Silverstar glared spitefully at him but completed the swim to the beach and let the four cats bring her across the log to the Island. They led her to the clearing in the center of the Island and Silverstar was rather alarmed to see how many clan cats were in the middle of the circle of Dark Forest cats.

"That's three clans defeated." Hawkfrost observed smugly. "Go ahead and join the rest of these weak clan cats. I'm going to Thunderclan. I want to be there when they fall." As soon as he finished speaking, Hawkfrost left Silverstar with the other three and ran back to the main land.

The long-furred tom shoved Silverstar forward roughly after Hawkfrost left and she stumbled forward a few steps. She hissed at him but continued to move forward before the she-cat could repeat the action. Silverstar held her head high as she joined her clanmates but her tail trembled. No matter how proud she acted, she knew that the clans had fallen to the dark.

(A/N. Loathe though I am to do so, I don't know how to fit the back story into the main story so I'm going to do something that no proper author can or should ever do and just tell you what happened. Midnight was overpowered earlier in the battle than she was in the original book so she couldn't get to Shadowclan to save Lionblaze. Without all of the Four, the Ancients couldn't come to help.)


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Hey Silverstar." Snaketail stepped forward to greet her when she reached the edge of the swarm of clan cats. Despite her friendly tone, Snaketail's tail was bristled with irritation and her claws gripped the ground tightly. Silverstar knew well how proud her friend was. Losing this battle must rankle her terribly.

"Are all our clanmates here?" Silverstar asked.

"I haven't found everyone yet. Pebblefur's here but she's torn up really bad. Hazelwood and Spruceheart were with Eaglewing when I saw them but I couldn't find Shiningheart. And Frostpelt and Tornadoclaw are here. I didn't see Moonleap, Snowlion, Wolffang, Meadowpaw, or Lavenderpaw either."

"Shiningheart won't come." Silverstar whimpered. "She was killed by a Dark Forest cat."

"Oh." Snaketail exclaimed quietly. Snaketail sat silently for a while, staring at her paws. "I hope the other missing cats are okay." She finally said. Silverstar saw from the touch of guilt in her eyes that she didn't feel that was the best thing to say at the moment but Snaketail never was very good at emotional words.

"Yeah, me too." Silverstar agreed.

"Snaketail." A tom's voice called from behind them. Silverstar turned to look but Snaketail had spun around and was bristled to twice her size before Silverstar got half way.

"What do you want, Cloudfrost?" Snaketail growled.

"I wanted to apologize." He said, not the least bit ruffled by her hostility.

"What for?" Snaketail asked.

"I promised you that I'd kill Snowlion if you betrayed us but Tawnyheather has insisted I find some other way to punish you for that." Snaketail released a deep sigh of relief.

"Remind me to thank Tawnyheather then." Snaketail's fur flattened and her claws relaxed enough to sheathe.

"Why would Tawnyheather care?" Silverstar asked when she realized Snaketail wasn't going to.

"She didn't want to lose a loyal warrior of the Dark Forest so soon." Cloudfrost answered her, his eyes glittering cruelly as he looked at Snaketail. Snaketail's claw dug into the dirt again as he named Snowlion as a traitor.

"Oh, and Cloudfrost? Some of my clanmates are in desperate need of medical care." Snaketail said, ignoring his jibe. "Can I and the other medicine cats return to our camps for our supplies?"

"Why would I allow any of you to leave?" He asked. Silverstar thought that it was a rhetorical question but Snaketail answered.

"Because the Dark Forest wants control over the clans. It serves you no purpose to let them die. If they live, you have more cats to follow your laws. If not, you have to work harder to keep alive the surviving cats." Cloudfrost inclined his head in acknowledgement of her answer.

"Very well. You," He looked past Snaketail to address Silverstar. "Go find the rest of the living medicine cats and send them here to me." Silverstar was reluctant to leave Snaketail with Cloudfrost but decided that she'd be back as quickly as she could and ran off into the group to search.

After searching for a while, Silverstar found Mothwing and Willowshine: the Riverclan medicine cats. Mothwing was crouched low and Willowshine was sitting close, leaning over her mentor as though to protect her.

"Is she okay?" Silverstar asked, stepping closer. Willowshine turned her head to look at Silverstar but didn't straighten up.

"It's- It's just a lot to take in." Willowshine answered her.

"Um, Cloudfrost sent me to fetch all the medicine cats and bring them to him. Can you come?"

"I don't think I really have a choice." Willowshine responded. "Graymist!"

A very pale-furred she-cat with light gray tabby markings walked over.

"Will you watch over her?" Graymist met Willowshine's eyes and understanding passed between the two Riverclan she-cats.

"Of course I will." Graymist promised. Willowshine stood and Graymist took her place over Mothwing. Willowshine waited until they had passed several cats before speaking.

"Do we still need to find someone or are we going back to Cloudfrost?"

"Kestrelflight still needs to be found but Snaketail's already with Cloudfrost." Willowshine shot a quick glance at Silverstar but apparently decided against voicing whatever thought it was that caused her to look.

They didn't talk to each other much while they looked even though they did ask other cats if they knew where to find the Windclan tom. Kestrelflight was eventually found sitting with Onestar, Ashfoot, Furzepelt, and Gorsetail.

"We needed to retrieve Kestrelflight." Willowshine told Onestar politely. Onestar looked to Kestrelflight to let him respond.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, Onestar." Kestrelflight promised, though he looked at each of the cats to include them in his promise. Onestar nodded in acknowledgement and Kestrelflight followed Willowshine and Silverstar away.

"One of the Dark Forest cats seems to be collecting the medicine cats." Willowshine informed Kestrelflight.

"Snaketail convinced him to let you all return to your camps for medicinal supplies." Silverstar added.

"Good." Kestrelflight sighed. "Thistletail's hurt quite badly."

"We all have injured clanmates." Willowshine agreed.

By now they were close enough to Cloudfrost for them to stop talking as they crossed the last few foxlengths. Silverstar was alarmed to see that Snaketail wasn't there.

"Where's Snaketail?" Silverstar demanded.

"Talking to an ally." Cloudfrost answered, waving his tail behind him. Silverstar looked to see Snaketail talking to a dirty-white cat with dark gray spots and a tightly curled tail.

"Sna-" Silverstar began. She was going to say that Snaketail had no allies in the Dark Forest but if Cloudfrost was being honest about Snowlion, maybe Snaketail did.

"I found the medicine cats." Silverstar said instead, turning her head to gesture. When she did, she saw Willowshine staring distrustfully at Snaketail.

"Good." Cloudfrost replied before Silverstar could address Willowshine. "Rainwind will accompany you, Kestrelflight. And Swallowpaw will walk with you to your camp, Willowshine. You can rejoin your clanmates, Silverstar."

Kestrelflight left the Island with a white she-cat who had a pale ginger streak on her nose and Willowshine left under the company of a blue-gray tomcat who still looked young but was rather faded. Silverstar didn't walk away from Cloudfrost.

"Why is Snaketail over there?" Silverstar asked as she saw her friend's ears twist flat against her head.

"So she can talk with Curledtail." Cloudfrost answered, turning to groom his pelt.

"Why isn't she with her friends?"

"What makes you think that she isn't?"

"Snaketail's not friends with any Dark Forest cat." Silverstar insisted.

"Are you certain of that?" Cloudfrost challenged. Looking at his expression, Silverstar saw that he was enjoying himself. Regrettably Silverstar wasn't sure how to answer and Cloudfrost's smile grew with the silence. Finally he spoke again. "As I said Silverstar, you can go back to your clanmates now."

Silverstar still didn't want to let the argument drop but Cloudfrost turned his back on her and resumed his grooming, ignoring her. She lashed her tail in irritation and walked back to the clan cats.

Silverstar sat silently, listening to the clans exchange quiet words, waiting for something to happen. As she sat, worry and fear began to grow inside her. The cats who had been in the Fireclan camp were hustled onto the Island but Silverstar couldn't find Darkstar among them. After the new group of cats was mixed into the crowd already there, a patrol of Dark Forest cats left the Island.

Silverstar stood to find out if she could see where they were going, though she already had an idea as to where that was. She was glad that she did though because by standing, she saw that Darkstar had just been brought in by a group of four cats. She ran over to him and pressed her muzzle against his shoulder, hoping for comfort. Darkstar rested his nose on the back of her neck for a moment and flicked his tail. Shadowlion walked over to the two of them and sat next to her mate.

"How is everyone?" Darkstar asked.

"Some of our friends aren't here." Shadowlion replied. "I don't know if they escaped the Dark Forest cats or were killed."

"Shiningheart's dead." Silverstar informed them, sorrow choking her voice. Darkstar dropped his gaze and the three of them sat in silence for a long moment before Shadowlion spoke again.

"Of the warriors that are here, almost everyone bears injuries to some degree. I heard that Snaketail convinced one of the Dark Forest cats to let the other medicine cats return to their camps with supplies but they could only go with a Dark Forest guard."

"Regrettably, that does make sense." Darkstar said. "Which camps have been brought here?"

"Ours, Winterclan's, Windclan's, and Riverclan's. Though I don't think it'll be long before Thunderclan and Shadowclan join us." Shadowlion answered. "A patrol of Dark Forest cats left to help out their allies in those camps just before you came in."

"I wonder what they're planning." Silverstar said quietly.

"I don't know." Shadowlion spoke up.

"They want control of the clans." A tom answered from behind them. Silverstar turned to see that Ratscar and Rosepetal had been sitting nearby with Rushtail and Starlingwing. "They want to tear the old warrior code down and replace it with a new one of their own design. I'm sorry for attacking you, Darkstar. I was scared and I didn't know who to fight."

"Don't worry about it." Darkstar said with a shake of his head. "Do we have a clue as to their new code ideas?"

"Nothing specific but I expect there will be a lot more vicious fights and less tolerance towards any perceived rule-breaking." Rosepetal answered.

"That does sound like what they would do." Shadowlion agreed. "You should go see your deputy." She put a mild emphasis on 'deputy'.

"What? Oh, alright." Darkstar followed Shadowlion deeper into the assembly of cats. Silverstar watched them leave but didn't feel invited to follow so she didn't.

"Who will lead the clans?" Silverstar asked Rosepetal and Ratscar. "I can't imagine they'll just let us continue to lead our own clans."

"The Dark Forest cats will choose one of the living traitors to lead each clan." Rosepetal said. "I don't know what they'll do if they don't have enough living cats on their side."

"So," Ratscar began nervously. "Which side is Snaketail on? She never really seemed to get along with her mentor but I just saw her with the Dark Forest cats, talking."

"This was Cloudfrost's intent." Silverstar realized, angry that Cloudfrost was making cats question Snaketail's loyalty but impressed despite herself at his chosen method. "He sent her to talk with the Dark Forest cats so that she would seem disloyal."

"She did seem to be talking rather familiarly with the other cat." Ratscar argued unwillingly, his tail flicking uncertainly.

"Snaketail's always been loyal to her clanmates. She takes pride in her loyalty and is one of the most proud cats I know." Silverstar defended her. Ratscar nodded, convinced by the certainty in Silverstar's voice.

"The cats from Shadowclan's camp are here." Rushtail informed them a moment before the crowd swelled with the newcomers. A young tortoiseshell jumped over Starlingwing and landed next to Silverstar. Starlingwing scowled at Meadowpaw, surprised by her sudden appearance but didn't say anything.

"Blackstar asked me to find you. The leaders that are here are gathering at the oak tree to talk." Meadowpaw informed Silverstar.

"Alright, thanks Meadowpaw." Silverstar said before weaving around the cats to reach the tree. Emotion gripped at her heart when she saw Pebblefur on her way. The young vixen was lying on her side, breathing shallowly. She had deep wounds on her sides and one of her ears was badly torn. Badgerswipe was watching over her and moss had been pressed onto the injuries to stop the bleeding but Snaketail was off somewhere, talking to a Dark Forest cat.

Silverstar shook her head to rid herself of those unfriendly thoughts and continued on her way. Mistystar had just sat down when Silverstar arrived and Onestar joined them soon after. Blackstar and Darkstar came a little later.

"Any ideas for a plan?" Blackstar growled as he sat down.

"I don't know what we can do." Onestar commented.

"Nothing yet." Mistystar answered Blackstar, ignoring Onestar's pessimism.

"Kill 'em all?" Darkstar asked.

"Sounds good." Blackstar agreed, twitching his whiskers. "So _how_ will we kill them all?"

"We already lost to them once!" Silverstar exclaimed. "How many more cats do we want to lose?"

There was a heavy silence and Silverstar felt kind of guilty for her outburst. She knew full well that no one wanted to lose more cats but the sight of Pebblefur's lacerated form hung behind her eyes and the memory of Shiningheart's death haunted her.

"So we prepare our clanmates first." Mistystar stated. "The Dark Forest have been getting ready for this battle for generations. This time we fight on our own terms."

"Look out." Reedwhisker stepped towards them to warn.

"Dark Forest cats approaching." Rowanclaw added. As the patrol of enemies grew closer, Silverstar saw that only half of them were from the Place of No Stars. Breezepelt, Thornclaw, Scorchfur, Icewing, Snowlion, and Wildear made up the other half.

"Out of the way." Brokenstar snarled at the clan leaders. "Make room for your new leaders."

With bristling pelts, Silverstar and the other four leaders stepped back enough for the living traitors to climb up into the oak tree. The Dark Forest cats hung around the base of the tree.

Breezepelt remained standing while his companions sat or crouched on the branch beneath him.

"Anyone who is willing to swear loyalty to the leaders chosen by the Dark Forest may stay in this territory. Those who refuse have the choice of leaving or dying." Breezepelt yowled.

Silverstar looked around at the cats nearest her. She didn't want to agree to Breezepelt's demand but she was scared to speak out against them. Darkstar stepped silently forward so that he was close between her and Mistystar.

"If we agree to this now," he breathed, barely audible, in their ears. "Then we can survive to fight another day."

Silverstar glanced in his direction and met Mistystar's gaze. Mistystar gave a slight nod and Silverstar repeated the action.

"I offer my loyalty to the new leaders." Darkstar called, his loud voice hiding Mistystar's whisper as she spoke to Blackstar.

"I do too." Silverstar agreed, giving Blackstar time to pass the message to Onestar. Mistystar agreed next and Blackstar and Onestar stepped forward to add their voices soon after.

"I'll never promise loyalty to traitors and cowards!" A disbelieving voice yowled. Silverstar leaned back onto her hind legs to look at the tom who spoke. Cloudtail's blue eyes blazed in fury at the very idea.

"Very well, Cloudtail." Breezepelt sneered. "You're free to leave, _if_ you can make it."

The white-furred tom raced for the fallen tree but two Dark Forest warriors caught him before he reached it. Cloudtail fought back fiercely but was overpowered when a third cat joined in.

"No!" Brightheart cried out in anguish. "_Cloudtail!_" Breezepelt curled his lip at the queen but Thornclaw looked aside, upset at his sister's despair.

"Anyone else want to try fighting?" Breezepelt asked. There was silence as the cats who wanted to escape waited for someone else to go first. "Good." Breezepelt said smugly before stepping down onto the same branch as the other Dark Forest-chosen clan leaders. After Breezepelt joined the others, Silverstar was just able to make out Maggottail's outline on the branch Breezepelt had just vacated.

"He must have been there the whole time." Silverstar commented quietly to Darkstar. "He could have heard us talking." Darkstar nodded but didn't have time to respond before Maggottail began to speak.

"Everyone step back." He ordered. "Leave a clear space around the tree."

Silverstar shuffled backward with the rest of the cats until a space a couple foxlengths long was cleared at the base of the tree.

"Former clan leaders, step forward."

Darkstar touched Silverstar's shoulder lightly with his tail as they stepped forward again. Mistystar kept her posture carefully expressionless. Blackstar bristled angrily and Onestar kept his ears flat to his skull. Once they were assembled, the new clan leaders jumped back to the ground and took up positions in front of the cats they once considered their leaders. Thornclaw hung back at the base of the tree with the Dark Forest cats who had accompanied them to the tree.

Silverstar glared furiously at Snowlion.

"How could you betray us like this?" Silverstar hissed at her. Snowlion gave her a somewhat disdainful look as Maggottail began speaking again.

"No regular warrior should have more lives than any of their clanmates." Maggottail decided. Icewing lifted her tail and stood to address the transparent cat.

"Maggottail, wouldn't it make sense to keep our clans as strong as possible? Having clanmates with extra lives seems like a good thing; they can fight with less fear of death."

Maggottail's eyes gleamed furiously at her polite challenge but Brokenstar stepped up next to her before Maggottail could say anything.

"She has a point, Maggottail. However, the former leaders will use their warrior names and be given the same duties as any other warrior."

"Very well." Maggottail growled. "From this day forward, Blackstar will be known as Blackfoot. Mistystar will be referred to as Mistyfoot. Onestar will be called Onewhisker. Silverstar will be Silverfire. And Darkstar will be known as Darkflame. If the five of you would like to step forward."

Silverfire glanced at Darkflame as he lifted a paw as though to step forward but he stopped when the six cats who were waiting by the tree came up behind the new leaders. Thornclaw joined Snowlion and the others to face the Dark Forest cats.

"I welcome Scorchstar as the new leader of Shadowclan." Brokenstar announced, touching Scorchfur's forehead with his nose.

"I welcome Wildstar as the new leader of Fireclan." Onestone added, repeating the gesture on Wildear. This was repeated for each leader. Morningdapple welcomed Breezestar, Tawnyheather welcomed Snowstar, a brown-golden tabby welcomed Thornstar, and a bright ginger and white tabby welcomed Icestar.

"Now, lead your clans home." Maggottail directed. "And know that the Dark Forest is watching."

Breezestar stalked forward first, his tail raised high to summon his clanmates to his side. They followed slowly, the less-injured helping the ones who were hurt more. Kestrelflight wove between his clanmates, watching over the worst cases. When the last few Windclan cats reached the middle of the log bridge, Thornstar led Thunderclan across. Icestar brought Riverclan across the watery channel between the Island and the mainland. Snowstar called to Winterclan next, walking across the bridge at Thunderclan's heels.

Silverfire saw Snaketail talking to Frostpelt. She nodded and Snaketail helped pull Pebblefur onto Frostpelt's shoulders. With a flick of her tail, Snaketail summoned Eaglewing and sent the three of them across. Eaglewing stayed close behind Frostpelt, steadying Pebblefur when she slipped. Tornadoclaw and Meadowpaw followed them, supporting Lavenderpaw.

Snaketail waited for the rest of her clanmates to step up onto the log before following them. Silverstar jumped up after her and Snaketail's fur rippled in recognition of the presence behind her.

As soon as they were across, Silverfire sped up a little bit to walk alongside Snaketail.

"Are you okay?" Silverfire muttered to her friend as they ran.

"As much as I can be." Snaketail growled. "Cloudfrost refused to allow me to heal our clanmates. Leafpool of Thunderclan took care of them in my stead."

Silverfire didn't know what to say and Snaketail had no more words to volunteer so they ran in silence until they reached camp.

As soon as they got home, Snowstar leaped onto the stone-pile and called a clan meeting.

"Snaketail, please go fetch our kittens." Snowstar requested.

"With all due respect Snowstar, our clanmates need healing. Could Silverfire go in my place? She knows where they are also."

"Pebblefur and Lavenderpaw are in stable conditions from Leafpool's care. I trust you to retrieve the kits and be back here quickly." Snaketail nodded and left. Silverfire bristled at the implication that she wasn't trustworthy but when she gave it a moment of thought, Silverfire had to admit that she probably wouldn't have brought her kittens back to a camp under the rule of the Dark Forest.

"Every cat who trained in the Place of No Stars before the battle, step forward." Snowstar called.

Silverfire watched as Tornadoclaw, Moonleap, and Wolffang lined up in front of the stone-pile.

"Tornadoclaw, did you fight on the side of the Dark Forest or on the side of the clans?"

"I fought with the clans." Tornadoclaw answered honestly after a moment of hesitation.

"Step forward." When Tornadoclaw did as she was told, Snowstar leaned down to slice one of Tornadoclaw's ears with a paw. "You can rejoin your clanmates." The black and white queen returned to Lavenderpaw's side.

"Moonleap, did you fight with or against the clans?"

"I fought alongside them." Moonleap stated, walking forward to accept the same punishment as Snowstar gave Tornadoclaw.

"Wolffang?"

"I- I fought with them." Wolffang admitted.

"Step forward."

"No way! I'm not gonna just let you hurt me!" Wolffang yowled, bristling as he took a step back.

"You can either accept your own punishment or have someone else take it for you."

Snaketail and the kits arrived just after Snowstar finished speaking but before Wolffang could respond.

"Ryekit, come here." Snowstar instructed. "Snaketail, you can bring the rest of them back to the nursery." Silverfire was proud to see the rest of her litter encircle him, defend him.

"What do you want with Ryekit?" Snaketail asked, her tail waving in uncertainty. Snowstar hesitated as she tried thinking of a way of convincing Snaketail to leave it. Finally she gave in.

"Wolffang refused to accept his own punishment. If he continues to avoid the scratch I intended to give him, I need to find some other way to penalize him."

"So you're giving Wolffang the choice of getting a scratch or of giving that same scratch to Ryekit?"

"Yes. I'm giving every cat who betrayed the Dark Forest a small scratch on the ear."

Snaketail turned her focus on Wolffang and Snowstar followed her example. Silverfire looked at him also, expecting him to protect his son. Wolffang's fur lifted even higher and he backed up, looking mostly at Snowstar but occasionally shooting guilty looks at Ryekit.

Snowstar sighed in disappointment before summoning Ryekit again. Silverfire glared at Wolffang, horrified.

"I'll take the coward's punishment as well as my own." Snaketail volunteered, stepping in front of the kittens.

"If you insist, Snaketail." Snowstar agreed. "Come forward." Snaketail walked forward until she was close enough for Snowstar to reach. Snaketail wasn't able to stop herself from flinching away from the pain of the first scratch but she leaned forward for the second scratch.

"You're all dismissed. Get some sleep, training begins early tomorrow." Snowstar said before jumping to the ground to greet her kits.

"I expect the Dark Forest cat insisted on these punishments?" Silverfire heard Snaketail ask Snowstar quietly.

"Yes." Snowstar admitted in an equally low voice. "Tawnyheather told me in no uncertain terms that if I didn't punish each of you, then she or some of her allies would."

Snaketail nodded as though Snowstar's words were confirmation of a suspicion she already had. Snowstar wrapped her tail around her three kits and herded them to the leader's den. Gingerkit took a step to follow but Kestrelkit looked over her shoulder to meet Gingerkit's gaze and Silverfire's daughter stopped and rejoined her siblings.

After Snowstar left, Silverfire walked forward to gather her kits and bring them to the nursery.

"Stay here, kits. I'll be right back." Silverfire told them.

"We'll be okay, Silverstar." Amberkit promised.

"You can't call me that anymore, my love. You have to call me Silverfire now."

"Why?" Rowankit whined. "No one has any right to change your name!"

"Maybe not." Silverfire agreed with a purr of laughter. "But calling me by my leader name might upset the Dark Forest cats and they can get mean when they're upset. I don't want any of you to get hurt."

"We'll be careful, mom." Ryekit said.

"Thank you. I'll be back soon." Silverfire left the den calmly before running across camp to the medicine den.

"Snaketail?" Silverfire called, peering into the darkness under the tree roots.

"I'm here." Snaketail responded, coming around the tree. "Pebblefur and Lavenderpaw are in there."

"I needed herbs." Silverfire stalled, gesturing to her torn shoulders. Snaketail nodded and slipped into the tree, walking carefully around her more seriously injured clanmates. Silverfire looked around cautiously and made sure that Snaketail's patients were asleep before ducking her head inside.

"Snaketail, I actually came to see if you'd help us revolt."

"Who is 'us'?" Snaketail asked. She didn't turn around, choosing instead to keep working.

"The other leaders, or rather, former leaders talked about it when we were still on the Island. We'll gather as many cats as we can, train together, make sure everyone stays strong and able, and when we're ready, fight back against the Dark Forest."

"I'll do what I can to help," Snaketail agreed, setting a mouthful of plants in the space between them. "But I want our clanmates protected, even the ones who fought beside the Dark Forest."

Silverfire sighed silently, knowing full well that Snaketail was thinking about Snowstar. "We'll see what happens. We don't know if they'll even want to stay here when the Dark Forest falls."

"Promise to give them that choice and I'll help." Snaketail insisted, picking up some yellow petals and green leaves to chew into a poultice.

"I'll give them the choice." Silverfire conceded, standing as still as she could so Snaketail could apply the medicine. Snaketail finished up in silence, covering the wounds with cobwebs to hold the poultice there. Snowstar arrived just as Silverfire left.

When Silverfire returned to the nursery, Rowankit and Dovekit were holding Tigerkit down.

"Let me go!" Tigerkit squeaked at them.

"What's going on?" Silverfire asked.

"Tigerkit was going to challenge Snowstar for taking Snaketail to her den." Gingerkit informed her.

"Snowlion was working with those dark force cats!" Tigerkit argued. "She has no right taking Snaketail away!"

"Snaketail's not going anywhere." Silverfire assured him. "Snowstar just needed to talk to her. Now then, it's time to sleep." Dovekit and Rowankit cautiously released Tigerkit while their siblings reluctantly went to the nest. Tigerkit glared at Dovekit and Rowankit before joining the others.

A yowl woke Silverfire abruptly at dawn and she ran from the nursery to see what was wrong. The sight of Snaketail and Wolffang fighting in the middle of the camp stopped her in surprise. Snowstar shot from her den and joined on Snaketail's side. Silverfire almost helped Wolffang but a glance at Ryekit kept her paws still. The battle was over fairly quickly and Snowstar kept Wolffang pinned to the ground.

"What happened?" The white-furred queen asked Snaketail.

"Nothing." Snaketail said with a shake of her head. "Just a minor disagreement." Snowstar stared at Snaketail for a moment, trying to decide if pressing the issue would help but she decided against it.

"Fine. Wolffang, go back to your nest. You'll clean out the elder's den and nursery tomorrow before going hunting with Eaglewing." Snowstar ordered, releasing him. Slowly, the onlookers drifted back to their dens. Soon it was just Snaketail and Snowstar standing in the middle of the clearing and Silverfire, half hidden in the nursery log.

"Snaketail," Snowstar began, speaking quieter now that it was just them. "_Don't_ lie to me again."

"Understood, Snowstar." Snaketail said, dipping her head. "Do you mind if I stay where I was or would you rather I return to my own den?"

"You can stay up there if you want." Snowstar agreed. Silverfire wasn't certain but she thought Snowstar sounded almost relieved. The two of them went to the stone-pile and while Snowstar went inside, Snaketail jumped on top and settled down as though to sleep. Silverfire turned around and went back into the nursery.

"What happened?"

"Was someone hurt?"

"Was there a fight?"

Silverfire waved her tail over her kits' heads to quiet them down.

"Hush. Yes, there was a fight but no, nobody got hurt. It was just a disagreement."

"Are all disagreements fought so loudly?"

"No Amberkit. One of them wanted the attention. I don't know why. Now, we all need to get some sleep before Snowstar decides to begin training."


End file.
